The Cambridge Satchel Company X Vivienne Westwood

When a fantastic brand collaborates with an amazing creative the results are bound to be fabulous, and Vivienne Westwood's new collection for The Cambridge Satchel Company doesn't disappoint. With jaunty buckle straps, the limited edition range features the queen of punk's iconic Squiggle Print from her Pirate collection of A/W81 and captures the Westwood spirit in a British classic.
For those attending Fashion's Night Out in Manchester there's a sneak preview this evening at the Vivienne Westwood store, where the collaboration remains exclusive until 14th. Otherwise these rather gorgeous bags will be launching on Vivienne Westwood online and in The Cambridge Satchel Company stores on Monday.
The white and red bag is most definitely going on my wishlist, but which colour is your favourite?
Image source here.

Shoesday: Melissa's Plastic Paradise

What a week! First of all I started a new treatment in the hope it will help my migraines, so for a few days I felt absolutely shattered by that, and then my internet provider started making 'improvements' in the local area, so in the meantime my connection back home is next to useless. I did manage to go to a lovely event on Saturday though, so you'll be hearing more about that soon!
For today's Shoesday post I thought I'd feature a brand which has fast become one of my favourites. Melissa's plastic paradise holds a nostalgic quality which reminds me of the joy of childhood jelly shoes, especially in the current glorious sunshine, but as well as being incredibly fun they also have an elegance perfect for 'grown ups'.
I was first aware of the brand through their fabulous collaborations with the amazing Vivienne Westwood, and adore the few pairs I've collected, and looking through the current shoes a pair of glamorous Lady Dragon court shoes in collaboration with Jason Wu caught my eye- complete with shimmering metallic bow, the black sling backs make one sophisticated statement. Then the flat shoes, from a dip dye effect Divine Fade to the delightfully glittery Ultragirl, are simply so much fun.
Do you own any Melissa shoes? Which of these pretties is your favourite?

1. Lady Dragon Jason Wu

2. Lady Dragon Vivienne Westwood

3. Incense Glitter

4. Ultragirl

5. Sapatilha Campana

6. Divine Fade

7. Skyscraper Vivienne Westwood

8. Patchuli

9. Lady Dragon Vivienne Westwood

Bags of Joy: House of Fraser AW13

There were so many beautiful clothes at the incredible House of Fraser AW13 press day, and I'm really looking forward to including them in a blog post, but I couldn't help but be distracted by the delectable pick 'n' mix of handbags! You may have noticed over the years that I've got a bit, well a lot, of a bag habit, and when shopping in store at House of Fraser I always love exploring the delights of the accessories department.
Rich berry colours were rife and amongst the day bags there was many a satisfyingly chunky style, from a power-bag by Michael Kors to a cute little satchel by Missoni. Meanwhile Orla Kiely's floral confections provided retro delight and Biba's iconic logo looked fabulous with metallic embellishment. Then the Lulu Guinness line remained wonderfully fun as ever, from glamorous lip motifs to a statement eye clutch. When it came to evening bags the future looks fabulously sparkly, and one of my favourites contrasted sleek red velvet with beautiful oversized diamante, leaving a twinkle in my eye.
So which of these gorgeous House of Fraser beauties would you like on your arm this coming Autumn/Winter?

Festival Floral Style

♥ George at ASDA top, coat and earrings ♥ Vivienne Westwood heart bag ♥ Very old but much loved Joules wellies ♥ Primark hat ♥ New Look skirt

Funnily enough the only festivals I've ever been to have involved classical music and cosy numbered seats, but there's always been that appeal to grab my Cath Kidston tent and dress up for an outdoor one. So when  George at ASDA got in touch to ask me to pick something out to style a Summer festival look I gladly took up the challenge and headed to my local countryside.
George have been doing such lovely things this Summer including some really cute ladies tops and I love the fun polka dots and little Peter Pan collar on this jersey one. I decided to play with pattern mixing for my festival look and got my floral on. A mac is somewhat of a festival essential and I really love the pretty pastel colours and floral print on this George one! It folds up very neatly into the pocket too which is handy for if the sun decides to make an appearance. I really like the emphasis on the waist for a more elegant silhouette than other macs I've had. I also picked out some sweet little gem earrings in rich jewel colours to add a little sparkle to any muddy field.
What's your festival look?

Intergalactic Pearl

Vivienne Westwood enthusiast and lovely walking fashion encyclopedia Pearl looked incredible in Manchester on Tuesday, from the bold print of her dress to her shining silver shoes. It was a look perfectly finished off with Chanel lipstick and nail polish as well as cute polka dot Primark socks and a Summer friendly braid in her hair.
Pearl's Gold Label Pebble shirt dress is a beautiful example of Vivienne Westwood's "Drunken Tailoring". From the very beginning Westwood has pushed the boundaries of traditional tailoring and recently Pearl wrote a really fascinating blog post for the official World's End blog on the subject which can be found here and makes an intriguing read.
I'd spied this street art on a previous trip and funnily enough it had replaced the Pug Pearl and I posed in front of in January! I love all the little stars on it and the rich colours are perfect as a backdrop to Pearl's fabulous pebble print.

Bring me Sunshine

Today I hid away from the horrible rain and escaped to the warmth of a vibrant greenhouse.
New Look have got an absolutely brilliant rainbow of colours this season in my favourite Spring shades from pale pastels to cheerful candy brights. I was absolutely delighted to be offered the chance to pick something out to review and New Look is so bargainous I managed to get two very lovely things for my budget.

The first is the purple blazer which I must admit I was already eyeing up online! The colour is beautiful and though the shape is structured it's also very soft with a wearable ease and very pretty ruche detailing on the sleeves which are short enough to show off an elegant wrist and a bracelet or two. It's fully lined which is a very welcome touch. New Look also have a really lovely waterfall jacket style in at the minute which looks almost ornate in how it hangs but is again very soft. I had great trouble choosing between the two in the changing room as they're both so lovely!

The other item is the cute little cardigan! I love how affordable New Look knitwear is for a versatile wardrobe staple. This cropped cardigan comes in at £10.99 or even better at 2 for £18 over the seven pretty shades from mint to peach. The short sleeves are sweet and I adore how the crop means it finishes just on my waist for a flattering, ladylike shape. I haven't had a cardigan at this length for a long while and I'm really pleased to rediscover how fabulous the silhouette is. I couldn't resist the happy tone of the yellow version.
I'm a very happy bunny with both pieces I chose. The colours are beautiful and the shapes both fun and versatile so I know I'll get a lot of use and joy out of them.
What colours are you eyeing up in the shops right now?

Ooh la la! Jean Paul Gaultier for Diet Coke

Monday 16th marks the launch of the amazing new Diet Coke range created by the brand's brilliant new Creative Director for 2012, Jean Paul Gaultier! The designer has injected his sense of fun and sophistication into the bottles and I think the shapes work so perfectly well for the refreshing drink!
The Day bottle features Gaultier's signature naughty nautical sailor stripes with red as a cheerful colour pop and the cute addition of a star tattoo. Then the Night bottle is a little more saucy featuring Gaultier's iconic cone bra corset design as worn by Madonna on her Blonde Ambition tour. The feminine shape definitely works wonderfully with the gently curving bottle. Later in the year a Tattoo bottle will also be coming out and I'm really looking forward to seeing and indeed sipping from it!
The bottles will be available individually or as a luscious gift set with a limited-edition Diet Coke glass featuring Gaultier's blue and white stripes. Whilst in France Gemma Arterton sizzled in a corset on the arm of Jean Paul Gaultier himself I was kindly invited to the dazzling London launch.
The range will be found at Harvey Nichols, whose Knightsbridge branch hosted the marvellous London event with Hilary Alexander as the most charming hostess. Fashion expert at the Telegraph and friend of Gaultier, Hilary looked fabulous in a poppy print dress and statement jewellery. She made everyone feel welcome with her warm personality and anecdotes.
The bar area hosting the event was gorgeous and decked in specially designed cushions whilst friendly breton stripe clad staff served cocktails inspired by Gaultier's signature designs. Burlesque dancer Leah captured the cheeky spirit of the designer's work and we were also treated to some pampering!

First up I discovered a delightful nail polish brand in ncla with satisfyingly chunky bottles and a range of delicious shades as well as highly snazzy nail wraps which come in really cute designs and don't require heat or drying time. The nail art on offer was inspired by Gaultier's iconic designs and I chose an elegant gold and black design featuring a corset accent nail. The layers of colour built up look beautiful together and have an ever so pretty subtle shimmer to them.

False eyelash company Paperself's delicate paper designs perfectly complimented the intricate lace work found in Gaultier's garments, especially his famous corset. I must confess to never having worn false eyelashes before but they're something I've been curious about. I'm pleased to say the experience was not traumatic and I really loved giving these a flutter! They're very light and because they are paper can also be manipulated a little to lie how you wish!

Lastly I couldn't help but be drawn to make up artist Helen Lewis' booth which sparkled with an array of glittery delights. With her company Glittermasque she specialises in creating stunning shiny body art which is perfect for parties and made me feel like a fairy. We discussed my design and Helen continued my lace theme whilst taking into account the pink and purple tones of my outfit. Returning home I was asked whether my design had been a transfer, but no, Helen very cleverly created each design from scratch by hand with brushes, which I think is very clever indeed!

This was such an amazing event and I had a wonderful time. Thank you so much to Lexis Agency for organising such a welcoming, photogenic and enjoyable event!

Florrie, Pearl and a Pug

Here's a face that has appeared on my blog a few times before: the lovely Pearl Westwood of Fashion Pearls of Wisdom. I'm really happy to have met her through blogging, and in person when she offered to show me Manchester's best shops.
We met to have a catch up, shop for and plan our Fashion Week wardrobes and generally had a good giggle! Pearl is completely and utterly devoted to Vivienne Westwood and the only non Vivienne Westwood thing I can find in this outfit is her tights! Even the gloves she later put on were from her faithful VW.
My outfit likewise was very 'me' with pink and florals. Here's my outfit rundown: Scope charity shop vintage dress, George at ASDA 300 denier tights, New Look boots, Marc by Marc Jacobs bag, Dorothy Perkins brooch on a H&M scarf, floral H&M snood and animal print purple cardigan, floral Forever 21 scarf (under snood) and Wallis coat.
You may have spotted an extra snazzy accessory in the form of the Pentax camera. I've borrowed it from college and am having fun playing with black and white film. I hope I've created some lovely images, you just never quite know how they're going to turn out! But I'll be sharing them with you as soon as they're printed.
For now I shall leave you with my favourite DSLR shot of Pearl, which oddly reminds me of one of those strange fish you find at the bottom of the ocean...