Tuesday 30 July 2013

Carluccio's, South Ken





Where to look in Carluccio's? My lunch, my cheese, my dessert, my purchases. Spoilt for choice... that is Carluccio's! We even spotted the man himself.

http://www.carluccios.com/



Shocking pink in South Ken!





Forget shocking pink in India... the place to wear it is in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and to be exact, Carluccio's, to match the colourful fare. The simplest pink linen trousers from Ally Capellino find favour with my funky vintage zip-up in a mad pink, man-made fibre by a label called Gabey, New York. An Osprey shoulder-bag vies for attention with an equally-yellow pair of summer wedges.The pink string necklace was bought in the Channel Islands and allegedly belonged to a showgirl who danced on the Paris stage. The prosecco is perfectly Italian... and so are the Roberto Cavalli sunnies!

http://www.carluccios.com/
http://www.allycapellino.co.uk/
https://www.ospreylondon.com/
http://store.robertocavalli.com/gb/

Friday 26 July 2013

It's a perennial!





I do not know how long I have owned this dress but I know where I bought it... Past Caring on Essex Road, Islington, and probably after a slap-up breakfast at nearby Alfredo's. Both these favourites are still going strong (although the latter is now known as S&M Cafe). The dress is equally evergreen, probably older than me, with no discernible label. It is plain-cut in black and white printed cotton, with a floral refrain. And it fits as only dresses of a certain era did, when figures were fulsome. It never fails to celebrate summer with me... and I can wear it with any amount of different accessories. This time: modern mono Ray-Bans, African livid-green beads and enamel ring, and perspex... both with my beach bag and on my Paul Smith strappy heels. I am about to have a recuperative cuppa in the members' room, at another favourite of mine: the one-and-only V&A.

http://www.timeout.com/london/shopping/past-caring
http://www.classiccafes.co.uk/Best.html
http://www.ray-ban.com/uk
http://www.paulsmith.co.uk/uk-en/shop/
http://www.vam.ac.uk/

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Divine Trinity

 
Dinner on a plate yesterday evening at Trinity, in Clapham Old Town. Cool, black silk in the form of an Armani jumpsuit - with a hint of the harem about it. Accessories come courtesy of my daughter's Chanel collection, but the antique rings are mine: Georgian onyx with seed pearls and a nine-diamond Victorian wonder. The simple black fringed bag, from the '60s, finishes off the look. Adam Byatt's restaurant, at 4 The Polygon, gets full marks. Amazing food, excellent service...

A personal thank you to: https://twitter.com/HippyfromthCity


Monday 22 July 2013

'Clapham meets Jamaica'




A room with a view: welcome to Wayne's world. An afternoon visit to a modestly-sized but effusive garden in south London, in support of the National Gardens Scheme. Its owner, Wayne Amiel, describes his five year-old plot as 'Clapham meets Jamaica', where bamboo sits beside buddleia and bumps into banana on the way! I'm here in my suitably tropical two-piece from By Malene Birger, Cornish canvas bag and Castañer wedges.

A summer's lunch


A shady green arbour for a delicious lunch in good company... in a cool cotton two-piece from By Malene Birger, bought in a cooler summer from The Dulwich Trader. A straw hat - for more shade - and minimal jewellery and one of my favourite summer shoe brands, Castañer. The Ray-Ban sunglasses have their own story: they were part of a 'goodie bag' on Virgin Atlantic's press launch trip to Los Angeles.


Friday 19 July 2013

It's a wrap!







In the plainest white dress - complemented by buckets of colour, both with my accessories and the entire backdrop! Jewellery is beaded and vintage, sunglasses are by Roberto Cavalli, bag is from a Linda Barker sale a few years ago, and the marvellous multi-coloured pointed shoes are by Red or Dead. And the colourful location is The Street Art House, which is still standing at 265 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich.

http://www.robertocavalli.com/
http://www.reallylindabarker.co.uk/
http://www.schuh.co.uk/womens/red-or-dead/
http://www.dulwichfestival.co.uk/streetart


Wednesday 17 July 2013

The colours of summer




Popping into my neighbourhood farm shop, Franklins, for some summer 'necessaries' such as tangy tomato relish and delicious dulce de leche. Today, in a simple no-label, linen '60s turquoise shift, bought recently at vintage store: Mabel, Melbourne Grove, East Dulwich. Accessoried with pops of yellow in my Osprey bag and summer wedges. The unusual scarab necklace was a reasonable (and unexpected) find from St Christopher's Hospice on Lordship Lane - today!

http://www.franklinsrestaurant.com/
http://www.franklinsrestaurant.com/farmshop/
https://twitter.com/FranklinsSE22
https://www.ospreylondon.com/
http://www.stchristophers.org.uk/


Tuesday 16 July 2013

Chinoiserie - on a bench
























Chinoiserie - in the shade. Dressed in embroidered silk and fringes the colour of toffee, dusky pink pearls at my neck, and a trio of bangles at my wrist. Both the bangles and ring are from Jessica Walker, Dulwich Village. The silver Angel Jackson bag matches the similarly distressed shoes (from the '30s) which were bought in Stockholm, Sweden.

http://www.angeljackson.com/
http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/women/angel-jackson/items.aspx?gclid=CJy2ouK2tLgCFcLHtAodDngAqg&oby=5&cur=GBP&bfdqbt=angel%20jackson&campaign=Designer%20Names%20UK#ps=1&pv=60&oby=5
http://jessicawalkerjewellery.co.uk/

For more chic chinoiserie visit: http://chinoiseriechic.blogspot.co.uk/

Monday 15 July 2013

Post-Tate


After dinner, a short walk on Bankside for drinks at citizenM hotel, with a brief diverting stop on a stack of red chairs! The best chair of the evening was to be found in the hotel lobby: La Chaise, designed by Charles & Ray Eames in 1948. The name is apparently a playful reference to the sculptor Gaston Lachaise whose 'Floating Figure' inspired the chair, exclusively produced by Vitra since 1991. 
CitizenM is a new group of international hotels, now in Amsterdam, Glasgow and London, and plans to open in Paris, New York and Rotterdam. Visit the website for more details.

http://www.citizenm.com/
http://eamesdesigns.com/catalog-entry/la-chaise/
http://www.vitra.com/en-gb/living/?c=GB
http://www.vitra.com/en-gb/product/la-chaise?subfam.id=37544

Tate date







Waiting for my Tate date at the river entrance to Tate Modern at the weekend. It turned out to be a colourful evening - even on the plate! I'm wearing my favourite Max Mara dress, with a vintage bolero of swansdown, an oversized patent clutch (a laptop case!), a pair of Russell & Bromley platforms, Gucci sunglasses and vintage jewellery. Tate Modern's restaurant -  with one of the best views in town, on level 6 - has a positively mouth-watering menu, and wines to match. My outfit complemented the fabulous Yayoi Kusama's distinctively dotty mural! The gallery held an extensive exhibition of the octogenarian Japanese artist's work last year.

http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern
http://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-modern/eat-drink-and-shop/level-6-restaurant
http://www.maxmara.com/it/Pagina-Iniziale
http://www.russellandbromley.co.uk/
http://www.gucci.com/uk/home
http://www.yayoi-kusama.jp/e/information/index.html
http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/yayoi-kusama

Friday 12 July 2013

Time - for shorts!


Getting the legs out... at last! Here in a pair of simple white linen shorts by River Island, tobacco-coloured, jewel-embellished silk top, distressed Angel Jackson bag (which suits the Med-blue backdrop), and Lola Cruz khaki suede beaded 'flatforms'.

http://www.riverisland.com/ 
http://www.angeljackson.com/
http://www.lolacruz.com/english/home.html
http://www.farfetch.com/shopping/women/lola-cruz/shoes-1/items.aspx#ps=1&pv=60&oby=5
Check out: Shorts for all ages http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/gallery/2013/jul/12/high-street-fashion-shorts?CMP=twt_fd


Thursday 11 July 2013