• [London Edge Feb 2020 Part 7] Bright & Beautiful, Lulu Hun and Collectif Menswear AW20

    In our final instalment of the Autumn/Winter 2020 previews, we’re starting with the awesome new collection from Collectif Menswear. 

    As well as the amazing Jonathan jacket pictured above (seriously, how cool is that?!), there were some great chunky knits, guaranteed to keep your other half warm (or for yourself as I’ve often said before!).

    I love a good moss stitch pattern and this bright yellow cardigan has bags of true vintage style with a modern flair, brightening up even the darkest of wintry days.

    I will always be a sucker for an atomic print, so this knitted top also caught my eye:

    The starbursts are everything! For a more casual look there are plenty of polo tops too:

    As with previous seasons, there will also be a range of novelty prints which are going to be very popular (no previews of those though to keep you in suspense!).

    Next we have Bright & Beautiful, which takes its inspiration from the 60’s and 70’s. Adding a contemporary twist to their vintage styling, there are often pieces which crossover from the past and look on trend for the modern day. Like this cropped sequin jumper which will look great with some high waisted jeans or slacks:

    The rainbow sequin detail is so pretty! Also this cute ladybird dress which is a classic 60’s mini shape in velvet, but sits a little longer than their daring lengths and has a fabulous gold print:

    As with every Bright & Beautiful season, I’m always on the look out for the new Astrid, and this tweedy version didn’t disappoint!

    Such a staple style to pair with brown boots for Autumn.

    There was also this new trench coat style which has the best tartan detailing to the lining:

    I love the turned up cuffs to reveal the tartan pattern. With a wide collar and double breast buttons, it oozes 70’s style but you could easily throw this over something more modern too. 

    Moving on to Lulu Hun and accessories now and the displays were fantastic as always. Here you can see the bags from the current collection: 

    Current season stock

    The leopard bag is particularly splendid, and there’s also a matching mirrored brooch which will be coming to the Collectif Accessories range:

    The accessories line will also launch new Natalie necklaces (you know how much I love those), one of which is this superbly pumpkin inspired treat (no tricks):

    Featured on the shoe display were these Spring/Summer prickly delights from Lulu Hun:

    The cactus wedges and pumps are really fun, and I adore a tropical leaf print!

    So what can we look forward to for Autumn from Lulu Hun? Firstly, the wonderful Mara is returning in two new shades:

    I have these in black and red already from 2018:

    They’re the perfect heel to be running around in and look so dainty with their velvet bow detail to the front, impeccably finishing off your vintage outfit. The plum and green versions will be brilliant additions.

    The next stand out pair for me were these spectacular heels:

    With faux fur all the way round, these platform heels are so cute and are like the shoe version of the Tatiana boot. I had to try them on to see how they looked of course!

    Bit of a weird angle as I was doing a balancing act of holding everything in my hands and trying to point down to my feet, without dropping everything! but, you get the picture. They look super cute on and were a really cosy fit.

    And now for the cream of the crop…..

    There are no words. These cowboy boots are just magnificent (ok, there were some words). I’m hoping they’re faux leather so I can strut around in the blue and red pair, tip my hat at random people and say, ‘howdy partner’ as I pass by.

    Finally the Autumn/Winter bags from Lulu Hun. My favourite picks were this black glitter satchel:

    So practical but so fancy! And also this incredibly cute pink heart bag:

    Isn’t it adorable?! And with all that love, it’s the perfect way to leave our jaunt around London Edge this year having viewed so many gorgeous things. I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing all the previews and do share with me which you liked most by popping a comment below x

     

    Featured brands today can be found here:
    Collectif Menswear
    Bright & Beautiful
    Collectif Accessories
    Lulu Hun

  • [London Edge Feb 2020 Part 3] Bow & Crossbones

    I’d missed the fabulous Bow & Crossbones last time they exhibited at London Edge as I ran out of time, so I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice! Heading over to their stand, I was greeted with such a friendly welcome from Camilla and Taz. It’s so nice when people you only know via social media turn out to be as lovely in the flesh as they are online.

    Bow & Crossbones make fakelite and 50’s inspired bangles, necklaces and earrings, but also sell true vintage, kitschy cool, items. I love Cam’s work and often wear her pieces which you’ll have seen in previous posts – in fact I was actually wearing some Bow & Crossbones when I met her! You know I love a good accessory.

    Bangle stacking is easy with B&C!

    The Kane Wicker collection (which I’m wearing above in Coco and Black) is just unbelievably good, made better only by the fact that part of the new season pieces are two tone wickers! That’s right, you heard correctly,  TWO-TONE! 

    Spot them on the second row up in all their funky glory

    I have no idea how it’s even possible, but it looks incredible. With earrings to match, these are so ridiculously cool. I think I may have let out an audible yelp when I first saw them. So they’re definitely on the list!

    Offering us another sneak peek of what’s to come, these awesome octagonal bangles were showcased too, look at all the gorgeous carving:

    I love shaped bangles but they never fit my teeny wrists, so when Cam said the new collections going forward will always be available in all 3 sizes (Princess, Queenie and Goddess), I was thrilled! Such great news, right?! whichever size you need, we’re all catered for.

    There were lots of gorgeous earrings to look at too and I’d already spotted the Dot earrings which were released recently. They’re double hoops and super cute.

    Dotty about these! Photo credit: Bow & Crossbones

    To my surprise, when I picked them up, they were so much lighter than I expected! No droopy lobes for us, ladies! I’m going to be bagging a few of those too.

    Hope you’ve enjoyed a little preview of all the goodies coming this year from B&C, in the meantime there are so many pretties available on the website and make sure you drop by on Friday evenings for the market nights which are fab! x

     

    Look out for Part 4 of my London Edge round up which will be coming soon. You can subscribe to the blog below which will notify you when it publishes to be a step ahead 🙂

     

     

     

  • [London Edge Feb 2020 Part 1] Oh So Flamingo

    Not even Storm Dennis would keep me away from London Edge for their 21st year of this amazing trade show. It always has the best atmosphere, the coolest brands and so much to see my eyes can’t cope with all the awesome in one place!  I’m going to write the round up in parts again as there’s just too much to share, and this way I can give each brand the time they deserve.

    I still feel that excitement when I walk in and see everything that lies ahead

    Upon arrival, I headed to the Press Meet where the back drop (main photo) brought the devil out in us all. I liked that my hair matched the theme, even if I was too short for the horns to actually reach my head ha – did you spot that?! I got to meet some absolutely stunning models and influencers and loved that our styles were all so different but everyone was super friendly and welcoming – as is the nature of the show.

    After the press call, I headed over to see Rachel from Oh So Flamingo, whom I want to talk about today. I’d met this lovely lady at the last show and she’d kindly gifted me the most gorgeous Starburst Hoop earrings (see previous article here).

    Her stand was filled with lots of beautiful new designs and I instantly fell in love with all the flamingo and jungle themed goodies with their bright, leafy, pieces which scream Tiki-tastic and make me want to wear them all!

    Mingos + Monstera = LOVE

    Oh So Flamingo specialise in handmade, laser cut, acrylic, jewellery with fun novelty themes. The ranges include earrings, necklaces and brooches to wear together or as separate pieces, and are very reasonably priced (earrings are around £9.00) for all handcrafted pieces.

    New additions coming this year also include some furry friends – and I know many of you are crazy (but obviously fabulous) cat ladies so these will be perfect to add to your collections.

    Rachel also kindly made me the most amazing bespoke brooch which features my logo and I can’t tell you how good this is!

    My logo has never looked so good!

    I love all the detail and it’s the perfect size to wear to events. I was ridiculously excited to receive such a special piece and popped it on straight away to flounce around the rest of the show with it – and of course, everyone loved it!

    I think you can tell how happy I am.

    I can’t wait to snap up some of the new items when they launch, but in the meantime, if you’re looking to add instant joy to your outfits, then look no further than the current rainbow-filled Love In Colour pieces, which are available here.

    Look out for the next part of my London Edge previews – you can subscribe to the blog below to be the first to see them x

    Wearing:
    Dress, handbag and earrings: all Collectif Clothing
    Boots: Lulu Hun
    Bangles: Bow & Crossbones
    Brooch: Vintage

    Photo Credit: Melissa Sacco (featured photo)

    For transparency:
    The brooch piece featured was gifted, but all views are my own – I just love the brand and wanted to share it with you x