Hot on the Highstreet Week 81 - Hermes in Harrods Pop-up

I began collecting Hermes twilly scarves a few years ago when I spotted a second hand yellow one glinting in the Notting Hill vintage shop window… I gathered up a bag of my old clothes to take in and swap for the beautiful scarf I had fallen in love with. Two years later and my growing collection includes a beautiful black twilly from my trip to New York, a sophisticated white twilly from the Hermes shop at Nice airport and a few others - each acts as a memento of a particular place or time. I love them all, and wear them regularly: in my hair, on my wrist or round my bag.

When I heard that Hermes were holding a pop-up shop in Harrods over the Christmas period, I was there in a flash. The pop-up honours twenty years of Hermes at Harrods and celebrates the brand’s most iconic accessory – the silk scarf. In one corner of the busy shop a colourful demonstration is set up. A beautiful display shows many of this seasons designs, including the new, exclusive to Harrods, ‘H’ scarf. Stylists are on hand to demonstrate the multiple uses of these versatile scarves, illustrating the endless styling possibilities. Women and men swarmed to the pop-up when I visited last Friday each decorated in gloriously coloured silk, turbans on their heads, scarves round their necks - it was a sight to behold.

After receiving an exotic scarf makeover myself (see the photo above), I had my photo taken by the photographer for the Hermes website and was given an orange bag with a few goodies to take away. This included a pack of the knotting cards explaining how to get the most out of your Hermes scarf with all the different ways of knotting, plaiting, twisting and tying to create numerous fabulous styles and looks.

I’ve already tried a few of the new styles and love the results. While I am still coming to terms with my new tangerine blonde hair, my twilly scarves are the perfect hair distraction.

Hermès Pop Up Scarf Boutique at Harrods

Harrods Room of Luxury II,

Ground Floor


Dec 5 2011 – Jan 2 2012


Stylists on hand every Wednesday and Friday afternoon

Hot on the Highstreet Week 74

At London Fashion Week I was introduced to the funky footwear and eccentric accessories of the Cleo B girls. I was stunned by the happy bright colours and wild unique designs. I was especially drawn to the shoe clips, a genius invention to jazz up any weary pair of shoes. These innovative decorations work just like vintage clip-on earrings but are worn on your footwear. I snapped up a pair of the Pink Crystal shoe clips online, reduced to £29.50.

Cleo Barbour launched in 2008 in London’s Dover Street Market with an exciting collection that illustrated her desire to create footwear that is wearable, feminine and reasonably priced. All of Cleo’s designs are glamorous and eye-catching, for women who want to make a statement. The shoes are curvaceous and sculptural and are often made in bright jewel shades of pink, turquoise and purple.

The shoe clips come in a variety of forms: crystals clusters or clown-like fluffy pompoms or gold and silver art deco half moons. They are versatile and individual and will revitalise any pair of plain ballet flats. I love wearing mine, perfect for converting my outfit from day to night if I am out and about blogging an event.

In March 2010 the Cleo B flagship boutique opened, located at 147 Ebury Street in London. This sophisticated space is adorned with Cleo’s collection of vintage posters and antique furniture.

Visit the shop to view and buy Cleo’s glittering shoes and shoe clips, or see online here.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 69

With London Fashion Week currently in full swing I thought I’d feature the work of a very special British designer as this week’s Hot on the Highstreet. As a member of this year’s LFW official press I have had an exciting juicy sneak preview of the Brit Fash Pack’s latest offerings, and there is much to be desired.

Christopher Kane is amongst the hot young established British designers showing at LFW this year. He studied at Central St Martins for six years before launching his own label when he graduated and has enjoyed success ever since. In 2009 he won the BFC British Collection of the Year Award at The British Fashion Awards. I have always been drawn to his unique use of colour and bold designs and this season is no exception.

It is his accessories that I am currently most intrigued by, neon purses, and aqua gel filled PVC clutches, they are fun and add a wonderfully wacky touch to a bland outfit, an injection of pop to a black evening dress. Priced from £295 upwards they don’t come cheap but they truly are one of a kind, and inimitable. Both are ideal for an evening out, and are fairly durable. The neon is made from laser cut leather, an intricate design that mimics lace. The PVC clutch filled with two different colours of aqua gel making it wildly innovative in its design. Buy Kane's accessories here on net-a-porter website.

Kane is definitely one to watch, and with his exhilarating use of bright colour he has got me hooked.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 68

Tom Ford is on a roll - fashion designer, film director and now progenitor of an entire line of luxurious make-up bearing his name. Already familiar for his sultry scents, last year he introduced a few limited edition products, including the most gorgeous lipsticks I have ever tried. This Autumn 2011 sees the launch of the whole make-up range, modelled in the campaign by Lara Stone and the designer himself.

After sampling the collection, I have decided on a few favourites, though it’s worth experimenting with the hues yourself to find the colours that exactly suit your skin tone and mood. I love all the lipsticks, they are all made from the most vivid pigments designed to really last all day long on your lips. Along with five from the original collection, there is a swathe of new shades to try. My favourite is Sable Smoke, a dusty pale pinky brown, that should compliment most skin types and work well day and night.

My must-have item though is the blusher in the extravagant shade, Flush. Appearing very orange off, it actually works wonderfully on, highlighting the cheek and providing a pretty but sophisticated peachy warmth. With summer over I feel the need to wear richer shades and the Tom Ford palette is perfect for flattering in the harsher winter light.

Exceptional quality and bold beautiful colours, I predict this range will be a hit.

See the range here, and buy in all good department stores.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 66

Moschino’s take on fashion is fun and bold, with wacky patterns, striking prints and a healthy dose of colour. With the addition of the ‘cheap and chic’ range, this desirable designer brand became affordable to younger buyers, and even more on trend.

This seasons Autumn/Winter collection features the fashion capital cities landmarks; New York’s Statue of Liberty, Paris’ Eiffel Tower and for London, a red telephone box. Each are printed as 60’s style shift dresses. Though priced at £440 these fabulous iconic dresses are still way out of my price range, however there is a little something from Moschino this season that is both affordable and desirable - the interchangeable silk and leather strap watches.

This is the most intriguing watch I’ve ever seen, with the option for either a silk scarf strap, or a more classic leather band. Both straps are included, a brilliant two for the price of one offer. There is a range of designs, different colours, materials, patterns, some of the watch faces are even decorated with crystal gemstones. I love several of the designs, and only wish I could mix and match and choose each component separately, but unfortunately each set is already chosen.

With the leather strap this watch is smart and chic, but with the scarf it is transformed into a pretty boho accessory. The scarf can also be worn separately, round your neck, in your hair or tied on a bag - it is multi-purpose. Ranging in price from £92 to £125 these watches are stylish and versatile and certainly a very good designer investment.

Buy online on the Moschino website here. Or on ASOS website here.

Finding your perfect Chanel: an interview with Winnie Lee, founder of Vintage Heirloom

I have always been a vintage and luxury designer lover, and have built up a collection of special bags, silk scarfs and garments in my wardrobe. However the one thing I have dreamt of owning is a vintage Chanel bag. I have never had the nerve or expertise to commit to buying one in case god forbid, it is a fake. So you can imagine my delight when I came across a marvelous website that not only had a wonderful and unique collection of bags but also helped every buyer authenticate Chanel for themselves, Vintage Heirloom. I asked founder and director Winnie Lee some questions about her envious job as a Chanel connoisseur.

What made you want to start up vintage heirloom?

It all started from years of being an avid Chanel collector. Over the years I continued to receive many requests from friends and family to find vintage Chanel handbags and jewellery. I realised I had built up a lot of expertise that I could use to start a business, allowing me to finance my passion for Chanel full time.

I wanted to create a website where customers can shop safely and in complete confidence. All of the the bags and vintage items we stock are genuine and authentic. Also I wanted to create a website where customers are not rushed into bidding on auctions like on eBay.

And how do you feel your company differs from all the other second hand designer websites and shops?

I supply to a number of top UK stores, so I am known and trusted in the industry.Vintage Heirloom prides itself on having the best ‘edit’ of vintage Chanel pieces. I don’t buy Chanel because its says ‘Chanel’, it has to be make my heart skip a beat! If I fall in love with a vintage item then I’m pretty sure my customers will too.

The majority of my stock is - ‘In stock’, and ready to ship the next day. So most of my UK customers can receive their vintage items within 24 hours. A lot of re-sellers work on ‘consignment’, which basically means they sell on behalf of someone else and take a commission. This often leads to a delay in delivery. I buy in the stock and control and monitor stock levels, without having to wait for a customer to ‘consign’ their vintage items to me.

I am interested in investing in a vintage Chanel handbag... what advice would you give to me? and how would I know I have found a good deal?

Buy what you love. Chanel generally even at pre-owned/second hand prices are getting higher as the price of current boutique Chanel increases at 30% every season. My best advice is invest now! If you see something you love buy it as the demand is high - if you don’t buy it, someone else will!.. Stock is unique so often we can’t restock the exact same item. You can still get vintage Chanel at ‘affordable’ prices from re-sellers like Vintage Heirloom.

What are your main tips for finding a genuine bag? What gives an item away as a fake?

Buying vintage Chanel is a mine-field, it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming. Luckily there is lots of great advice to help you make an informed decision. We will be providing a series of authenticity videos on my website. This is being launching in September. Here’s my top 3 things to look out for:

1.Lambskin leather:Lambskin leather is expensive and almost all replica bags use ‘imitation’ or low ‘grade leather’ to keep the cost low. Chanel only use the finest quality leather, lambskin, caviar skin, calfskin and Jersey. Go to a Chanel boutique and familiarise yourself with your favourite bags. Lamb skin leather is ‘buttery soft’ to the touch, very delicate and silky smooth. This is difficult to gage from photographs on the net, but once you have felt a few genuine Chanel bags you will become familiar with the look of the leather too.

2.Hardware: Know your hardware. Replica companies slightly modify their hardware, as creating exact copies would be expensive but also is a copyright infringement. Chanel hardware comes usually in gold or silver. As a rule of thumb the right C of the famous turnstile lock should always overlap the left C. The back plate should have flat head screws. If you hold the bag in front of you it should say Chanel on the ‘west’ or left side of the plate and Paris of the ‘east’ or right hand side of the plate.

3.Stitch count: As with any high end designer bags, there should be high stitch count. This ensures durability and is a sign of good craftsmanship. Items with a high stitch count are costly to produce as the needles go through a lot of wear and tear. For Chanel bags, there should be more than 10+ stitches per 1”.

Which designers of our time do you think will be the vintage must haves of the future?

I think the current CELINE bag line is amazing! The simplicity and design is so chic (like the 2.55 Chanel bags), their styles are classic and I don’t think they will date. So I do think it’s worth investing in a CELINE bag like one of their leather shoppers or the luggage bag line. I also think Goyard is a good investment, they are the designer’s designer choice! Goyard is an old french luggage company like Louis Vuitton, but their monogram and colourful canvas shoppers are very contemporary. Their shoppers are made to last.

From your wardrobe which is your favourite designer piece and why?

I just recently purchased this Chanel jacket from one of my regular clients.I have longed for a tweed/nautical style Chanel coat, and this fitted beautifully. This jacket also came with a separate tie, so cute! The jacket was from the mid-80’s and I was told it was bought from bond street Chanel store. It was a gift from her husband to celebrate the birth of their first born, lucky me!

by Winnie Lee Director and founder of http://www.vintageheirloom.com/

Hot on the Highstreet Week 28

Yet another fantastic collaboration hit the London highstreet this month, Valentino for Gap. The collection that is sold in only two stores (the flagship shop on Oxford Street near Selfridges and Dover Street) came out a week ago.

These clothes are all about ruffles and khaki. There are only seven designs in the capsule collection, and as ELLE magazine neatly put it, they are ‘ultilitarian basics with a romantic twist’. The items are all quite sturdy looking, no cutesy dresses a la Lanvin for H&M, in fact these pieces are completely the opposite. Expect to find parkas, boleros, cargo trousers, little jackets, frilly jumpers and big skirts, all with lots of structured ruffles.

Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Picciolo explained: ‘we love mixing cultures and have been excited to mix Gap’s timeless essentials with our Roman culture of couture. The collection brings together the iconic world of Valentino and Gap’s fashion staples, synthesizing the current trend of combining luxury with basics.’

When I went along a few days ago I managed to get one of the remaining khaki green skirts, it sits high on the waist with thick layers of flowing material, a dainty Valentino bow at the top. I will be wearing it with a black leotard, or a cropped white t-shirt, and can definitely see it being a staple in winter and summer. Prices are reasonable, my skirt cost £69.50, and the other pieces are a similar price...high fashion outfits at a fraction of the cost.

Judging by the depleted rails I saw, everything might be gone now, but if you really want a piece from this special collection apparently there are some being resold on Ebay.