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

the world the way i want it - Pop-up shop

‘The world the way I want it’ was a magical pop-up shop on Redchurch Street near Brick Lane. Open for just a month, there wasn’t long to catch a glimpse of this little gem, but I luckily managed to find a spare half hour to visit last weekend, and I am so glad I did.

Keggie Carew certainly created her own world in this little shop. Every inch of the space was decorated with her artwork, findings and other mysterious bits and bobs. I could have spent hours in there exploring everything.

She has an obvious interest in the great outdoors, I particularly loved the ‘pink shoes with Dorset hills and sheep and bird gazers in the trees’. Appropriate to the theme, half the profit is going to ‘Kiva’ for micro-loans to sustainable farm projects.There were plenty of unconventional gifts for sale too: poetry rubber stamps, bug pots (I bought one for my dad), ‘true story’ t-shirts. The insect necklaces seemed to be a good seller, as you can see from the images, they come in different bug varieties, and are eerily beautiful. Carew assured me, these necklaces are wearable, but with care. I think they are the perfect Tim Burton-style present for the lady that has everything.

These temporary pop-up shops are becoming more and more popular, and seem to be cropping up all over the place. After visiting ‘The world the way I want it’ I bumped into another pop-up store, where two creatives from Madrid were showing their work, jeweller Karen Hallam and artist Fernando Herlop. These quirky little shops are worth looking out for, they are brilliant for picking up one-off items and often at much lower prices than you would expect.

Visit shop website here.

Lucy in Disguise : Lily Allen and sister open their new vintage shop

The two sisters: Lily Allen and Sarah Owen

‘Lucy in Disguise’ is the latest idea from Lily Allen, who has set out to prove herself as more than just a singer. Lily has teamed up with half-sister Sarah Owen to launch this Covent Garden boutique. The two sisters admit they have not always been friends, though in the song ‘Back to the Start’ Lily offered her sibling a peace offering and this joint venture shop suggests they are now a lot closer.

Unlike most of the little vintage gems tucked away in Covent Garden LID (Lucy in Disguise) is large and easy to find on Kings Street. It’s luxuriously purple glow makes it stand out even on the rainiest of days. The shop opened a month ago, but its unique selling point is only revealed to the public this week – a fabulous lower floor with all kinds of treats. I was given a sneak preview and was delighted to see retro nail and hair and make-up sections, a mini Grey Goose vodka bar and a very special VIP section with a selection of spectacular one off vintage pieces for renting only. Everything you could need for the perfect retro look.

I was sceptical about the idea of this shop, but being a vintage clothes lover and a fan of Lily Allen, decided to pay it a visit. So last Friday afternoon I took my weary legs off to Covent Garden (giving up my sacred one evening off). I was delighted to discover the comfort and ease of the shop; there is no struggling through dusty rails with disappointment, everything here is superbly selected by experts. The prices vary, and it is clear that the LID team aim to please every budget... some unlabelled items come in at around £30, and then there are stunning designer pieces that range from about £80 up. Many of the more expensive designer pieces also offer the option of renting for a fraction of the price. I bought a delicious green patterned Valentino jacket that has already won me several compliments. I could have easily bought more; I fell in love with a dinky make-up purse, and some of the glamorous costume jewellery is to die for.

I had a lovely conversation with a few of the staff in the shop,who seem to have a real passion for the project on which they are embarking, and perhaps that’s why so far the idea has been a success. Lily Allen is never one to think small and this is certainly true of her newest mission. The shop offers more than any other of its kind, and they will have to work hard to keep such a big ambition alive. Luckily this business isn’t snooty or pretentious as celeb ventures can often be. The thought that has gone into LID is clear from the moment you walk in, even the psychedelic name (that links to the Beatles song ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ and the drug LSD) has been cleverly chosen.

In the corner is a Playstation Move for all those poor poor boys that are dragged into this girly haven. And if they are still dissatisfied they can pop downstairs for a cheeky drink. I kept my accompanying man in tow to give me what I hoped would be valuable opinions on the outfits I tried on. But then I remembered, men don’t get vintage clothes, so better just to decide for yourself.

Lucy in Disguise can be found at 10 Kings Street, WC2E 8HN. Visit the website here.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 18

On the 16^th September Selfridges opened their new Shoe Galleries. This emporium displays 5,000 pairs of shoes and has up to 100,000 in stock, making it the world’s biggest woman’s footwear department. The title previously belonged to the Galeries Lafayette in Paris, and before that Saks Fifth Avenue in New York.

The inspiration behind the Selfridges extravaganza came from a conversation the store's creative director, Alannah Weston had with a colleague regarding the effect shoes have on women. Following this Weston told her photographer friend, Bruce Weber the tale of her three-year-old daughter Maia’s favourite game: trying on and admiring all her mother’s shoes every morning. Weber was captivated by the story and that’s where the Shoeperhero idea all began, hence the photo above.

Shoes are an undeniably important part of a woman’s daily life: looking, choosing, ordering, comparing, buying, wearing, and wishing. More than 150 brands are represented in Selfridges, from high street names such as River Island and Topshop to the world’s top designers, like Jimmy Choo and Prada. Prices range enormously from a £25 pair of Havaianas flip-flops to £1,750 for a sensational pair of platform Balenciagas. There really is something for everyone. It is worth visiting just to see this shoe phenomenon, it is as beautiful as an art gallery.

The £10 million Shoe Galleries are said to be larger than the great Turbine Hall in Tate Modern. They are arranged into six unique ‘salons’ each with a different theme and feel. Each brand has had full creative direction of their ‘apartment’; I particularly like the Repetto mimic ballet studio and the Christian Louboutin room that recreates the designer's Paris home.

We already loved Selfridges but now there’s another reason to visit this magical London store. Dreams really do come true in the Shoe Galleries, go and find the pair that will make you feel like a princess. And remember to drop off the man before entering, you don’t want his whingeing distracting you.

Check out the Selfridges website for more info here.

London's favourite Department store: LIBERTY

Which is your favourite London department store? After careful consideration I would have to award LIBERTY my first prize. The one-off store has a unique character unlike any other, and with such beautiful things inside, for me it is more like a museum.

Liberty can be found on Regent Street in central London. The business was started by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1874, after he worked at Messrs Farmer and Rogers also on Regents Street. He believed he could change the look of homewares and fashion. The shop opened in 1875 with only three members of staff, made possible because of a £2,000 loan from Arthur’s father in law. Initially he acquired only 218a Regents Street, but soon as the store became more successful he bought the other half of 218 and also the surrounding properties. Arthur was important to the Art Nouveau movement, and it is this style that makes the shop so appealing to me.

Liberty is most famous for its decorative floral prints. Delicately patterned and often brightly coloured these designs have been adopted by many designers. The Liberty design team re-work the classic prints every season, they say they are inspired by ‘nature, architecture, our heritage and the store itself.’

What I find most satisfying about this shop is the selection it offers. They seem to sift through all the designer’s collections to pick only the most desirable items. Even if you can’t afford to buy anything, Liberty is still worth a visit - a beautiful building with a treasure chest of goodies inside.

Shop here.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 5

This week I wanted to introduce you to one of my favourite shops, Butler and Wilson. This year they celebrate their 40^th Birthday.

Everything in this shop glistens and sparkles, every corner filled with the most outrageous of jewels. This is costume jewellery at its very best.

I’ve chosen the skull stud earrings for this week's Hot on the Highstreet. Skulls are everywhere at the moment, and are the trademark symbol of the epic designer, Alexander McQueen.

Butler and Wilson’s skull earrings come in an array of colours, for every occasion. At only £18 they are a budget way of adding sparkle to an outfit.

Buy here.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 1

My mum suggested this weekly post advertising a hip, fashion forward highstreet buy. So here goes Week 1 - Nails Inc's HAYMARKET nail varnish.

You may have noticed the Sold Out Chanel Nouvelle Vague being flashed on lucky nails around the city. This Chanel Limited Edition Nail varnish pictured below (centre) was sold out within hours of hitting the shops, and at £17, it's not cheap.

I have tried both the Chanel and Nails Inc's alternative, and if anything the Nails Inc version is more glossy, and only requires one coat. Nails Inc also have great offers on their products - in Harvey Nichols at the moment they are selling 3 nail varnishes for £20. So instead of queuing for hours for the Chanel pricey option buy Nails Inc HAYMARKET for a fraction of the price from the comfort of your own home, get it on the website here for £9.45.

Is Kate still cool?

Kate modelling in her newest Topshop range

Kate Moss has been in the public eye more than any other, primarily as a model, but now as a designer too. She continues to hold iconic status, but does she still deserve to be the centre of our attention?

May marks the introduction of her latest Topshop range - S/S '10. The collection harks back to the 1970s with a strong vintage vibe. Floral shirts and floaty maxi dresses dominate the range. Supposedly everything you need to look and feel like Kate Moss.

I went to check out the new Moss garments in Knightsbridge's very own Topshop store last week. I was disappointed (and thank God I was, I cannot afford any more clothes!) Nearly everything is made from synthetic materials - quite unpleasant for summer attire. I picked a few dresses to try on - although there weren't many under £80, and most were over £100, ridiculous considering the quality of the material.

The dresses failed to impress in the changing room too - they clung to my skin and were completely unflattering. Realisation hit - I would not be walking out of Topshop looking like Kate Moss today.

Kate Moss holds a lot of power with her name and image - it's a shame if young girls waste their money on this collection, it certainly isn't worth it.