Apple Window Displays at Selfridges

London`s luxury hub – Selfridges – is not known for being shy or restrained. Since I remember, it has always been at the forefront of doing bold projects and hosting beautiful campaigns. No wonder that their latest unveiling is also super-stunning.

Earlier in August, the store launched larger-than-life flower installations in its 24 windows. The giant flowers form a dazzling backdrop for Apple watches that are display in front of them.

The window set-ups are inspired by eight different watch faces. They include gardenias, chrysanthemums, and passion fruit flower – my favourite, out of the bunch.

I hear it took 35,000 hours to make these beautiful blooms, and that excludes the installation.

Apple is the first brand that took over almost all of Selfridges` windows. And I think it fits well with the department store`s ethos of providing innovation as well as selling beautiful pieces that are equally practical as well as entertaining.

Fendi`s Pop-Up Palazzo at Harrods (London)

Last week, a new, colourful pop-up greeted me at Harrods.  It is being hosted by one of the most coveted Italian fashion houses - Fendi. Part of Harrods` ground floor has been turned into a replica of the brand`s headquarters – the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana in Rome. Posing with a giant Fendi bag, I am wearing a dress from Chloé and shoes from Vivienne Westwood.

Designed by two artists, Andrea Mancuso and Emilia Serra, this unique retail space brings to life the magnificent archways of the building, complemented by vivid blue sky, and chic, Italian accessories from Fendi.

Here, we can find rare designs, like this fabulous crocodile bag…..

…..but also discover familiar items, like fluffy bag charms…..

........and beautifully embellished masterpieces.

Visitors are invited to take part in a digital competition by putting their artistic flair to test and designing their own 3Baguette bag.

I had fun and used pink and green splashes of colour and – on the other side – light, fatherly strokes in white and orange. Judged by no other than Silvia Venturini Fendi, the winner will come away with a one-off 3Baguette – pictured below - especially created by Silvia Fendi for the Harrods Pop-Up. Cross fingers!

Some items can only be found at this pop-up in Harrods. So if you are after some unique 2Jours or embellished, By The Way pieces in exclusive colour combinations, head to Harrods before the end of this month, as the pop-up will close on 30 August.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Selfridges Opens its Christmas Shop in the midst of Summer

Yesterday, Selfridges' flagship store on Oxford Street in London, unveiled their Christmas shop, the full 143 days before the big day. Is it too early? -  some have asked - Have our acceptance of eager consumerism pushed us too far this time?

Despite the summer weather and the fact the temperatures are set to rise even higher over the next few days, I went to the store in search of some Christmas spirit among festive trinkets and crackers. I am wearing a Versace dress and my sunglasses – `a-must-have` accessory on this sizzling summer`s day – are from Dolce & Gabbana.

There are plenty of baubles to choose from.

And the ornaments are beautifully made.

Festive-themed wrapping papers, crackers, personalised decorations, toys, Christmas trees, and a huge variety of celebratory mementoes were fighting for my attention.

The layout is well designed and easy to navigate.

It didn`t feel merry to me, simply because there was no Father Christmas in sight but I understand this is just a `start-up` Christmas shop, and a bigger space will be opened later in the year, so maybe Santa will bless us with his presence by then.

This is probably the very first Christmas store in the entire world, but I can see the point of opening it so early. Why do I support opening a Christmas emporium in the height of summer?

The holiday season is in full swing and we have a lot of foreign visitors in London, as well as many tourists who came from other parts of the country. So why not offer them the opportunity to purchase and bring home a lovely Christmas-themed souvenir?

When hanged on a tree in December, it will – hopefully - remind them of a fun-filled summer trip to London.

Best Foot Forward – Summer Awaits

Feet – they carry us through life, but far too often we find an excuse to neglect them, especially as it is easy to cover them in thick tights or socks for most of the year. With summer in full swing, it`s an ideal time to reveal a well-cared-for, beautiful feet.

Cracked heels and hard skin is the most common result of our year-long lack of attention and care. But it is easy to relieve the symptoms just by soaking feet in a hot bath and then applying a thick layer of cream, and massaging it for at least a few minutes at the end of the day. I`ve heard that some people sleep with socks on but it doesn`t make any sense to me. Why would I want my socks to be soaked in moisturiser, when I want my feet to absorb it?

I want my feet to look good in high-fashion heels like these Vivienne Westwood beauties.  

 

My routine to ensure I have `dancing feet` that I am not ashamed of include regular visits to Margaret Dabbs Foot Clinic and Spa for medical pedicures. During a 45-minute session, a qualified podiatrist transforms my soles by removing dry skin, exfoliating my feet, shaping and buffing toenails and re-hydrating.

 

Some of Margaret Dabbs` treatments can be carried out at home. I really like her foot file for removing hard skin – it has to be used on a dry foot – but produces amazing results! The other star- treatment is Margaret Dabbs Hydrating Foot lotion.  It contains a special ingredient - Emu Oil to ensure feet are left nourished and soft to the touch.  

 

Let celebrate our feet this summer!

The other day I found in Hay Hill Gallery in London a beautiful acrylic on canvas called `Night` by Adriana Saavedra – a young artist who splits her time between her native Barcelona and California. The bold burst of colours against black background makes the image feel modern and brings Pop-Art to mind. I adore this paining - what a brilliant celebration of dancing feet!

Golden Age of Venetian Glassmaking

From late 15th century to mid-17^th century Venetian glassmakers were the undisputed tastemakers and trend-setters. I went to the Wallace Collection to hear its curator, Suzanne Higgott`s lunchtime lecture on the `golden age` of Venetian glass. 

Venice was an important maritime power at that time, and their citizens had access to many geographical areas and pure materials for glassmaking, including special pebbles from a local river that allowed them to develop secret techniques that were envied around the world. Nobody else was able to get these materials and the Venetian Republic`s decision to host glassmakers on Murano island, meant they were not easily observed at work, so their secret techniques were safeguarded, adding to the overall mystique and desirability of their products.

A prominent example of the artistic flair displayed by Venetian glassmakers is this pilgrim flask with the arms of Lichtenstein and Reppoltstein, made in Venice in 1523 – 6.

 

One of the unparalleled discoveries was made by Angelo Barovier, who  learnt to purify glass and make it transparent. This bright, completely transparent crystal glass was known as vetro cristallo or cristallo veneziano.

 

Another break-through was made in 1527 by Filippo Catani who patented zanfirico or retorti filigree, which allowed glassmakers apply fine milky white canes to a transparent cristallo glass and twist them in a spiral pattern.

I adore this vetro a filigrana glass , made in Venice in late 16th century.

 

The glassmakers of Murano were very entrepreneurial and were producing different designs for different markets. At the height of their popularity, they were making amazing artefacts for crowned heads, popes and the leading businessmen of the time.

 

The demand for Venetian glass became so big, that by the end of the 16th century a number of glassmakers began migrating across European cities and slowly but surely, Venice had lost its ability to keep the technical skills secret and as a result lost its exclusivity and monopoly.

Three A/W2015 Trends You Can Wear Right Now

If you are looking for transitional wardrobe staples, to ease you into Autumn/Winter 2015 styles, here are three trends that can be easily adopted straight away:

Monochrome was big on A/W2015 catwalks, being shown by – among others – Emilio Pucci (black and white graphic dresses complemented by monochrome boots) and Louis Vuitton (long-sleeved, belted dresses paired with booties).

Create simple contrasts to achieve a similar look. I am wearing a dress by Versace and a bag from Marc Jacobs.

 

A new take on pretty pink in A/W2015 collections re-positioned the colour by offering strong, modern silhouettes, such as structural suits at Prada, or theatrical, vividly-coloured dresses at Giorgio Armani.

My Mulberry dress and fur gilet are more stylish than saccharine and fully embrace this new trend.

 

The accentuated waist was the undisputed hero of many A/W2015 shows. Roksanda, Versace and Tommy Hilfiger adorned their belts with massive, shiny buckles, while Giles showcased cute bow-belts. Time to restart our exercise regimes as cinched, hourglass figure is back in vogue again.

I am wearing a Michael Kors dress, girded by Escada belt.

Charlotte Olympia`s New Boutique in London

Charlotte Olympia Dellal, a British shoe and accessories designer opened her second stand-alone boutique in London`s Brompton Cross three weeks ago. It is situated across the road from Chanel`s store and just a short walking distance from Slone Square. Harrods is within its vicinity. After making Mayfair her first go-to address, this is just a perfect locale for a fast-growing, and successful brand that counts many celebrities and sophisticates as its aficionados.

The bijou space is stocked up with the brand`s colourful, fun-loving and exquisitely made shoes and accessories.

That includes a special collection designed and sold in the cities the designer had opened her boutiques in. So in London`s store, there are T-bar shoes featuring typically British uniformed guards…..

….. and clutches that depict a red double-decker and a black taxi. Themed-collections are also stocked in other cities like Las Vegas and Miami.

The accessories are complemented by quirky accents that are scattered around the space, such as this hungry beast…..

……and orchids that have Charlotte`s face embossed on each flower – cute and original.

My favourites are bags named after film stars like Bogart, Gable and Newman. The designer thought – quite rightly – that every fashionista needed a super-star on her arm; hence she named the bags after famous actors. Bogart has attachable gloves….

……while Newman sports an unusual handle.

Everything in here is about attention to detail, from little combs hidden in internal pockets of many handbags, to champagne being offered to clients on arrival.

 

The designer`s first footwear collection was presented during London Fashion Week in February 2008. Since then she took the world by storm, creating a desire for idiosyncratic, well-designed and cheerful accessories that make the wearer stand out from the crowd, no matter how grand the gathering is.