January 31, 2014

Hemyca London

A well coordinated outfit does wonders for the mind, soul... and Saturday Night plans. [That’s how the saying goes doesn't it?]


As we launch well blow-dried head first in to the new found obsession of Fashion Art Deco and Graphic prints, Hemyca London is the jewel in our crown steering the fashion pack toward a happy symbiosis between Spring 14’s pastel hues and the fashion forward Art Deco phase that is following close behind.



Hemyca London is the British luxury Womenswear line created by London local Helen Clinch and Italian honed Myra Nigris. Having built a firm base within fashion, spending several years working with the likes of Roland Mouret and Calvin Klein, Hemyca London was born. Stocked across all major fashion districts from New York to Hong Kong, Hemyca London lends its heritage historical take on fashion to modern day practices and are one of the official designers showcasing for London Fashion Week this A/W 14 season.




My favourites from the collection include this beautiful, pastel palette and matching separates ensemble that are easily rocked together or broken up and paired with contrasting colours for a more edgy take on the look.



This statuesque Art Deco inspired floor length creation is
perfect for formal occasions and will
guarantee that you’ll be best dressed for the evening.




Check our Hemyca London here

January 28, 2014

Putting the Frosting on Cocktail Hour

You’re sitting at the table.


You’re mulling over good conversation while you survey the wine list, you place your order and over the maitre de comes with two shining vessels of the good stuff. With a flick of your head and a tousle of your hair, you reach forward for your glass and suddenly he’s blinded...

Ok slightly whimsical, admittedly, but the value of a well placed Cocktail Ring has rapidly diminished from its inception in the roaring 20’s. 


Worn by women during the prohibition period in the US of A, these giant rings were worn as a statement by women who were flaunting the fact that they were throwing caution to the wind, living on the edge and ignoring the prohibition laws- known in modern day society as having a good ol’ legs up at Cocktail hour.
While I’m not suggesting that the cocktail ring will magically transform you into a resident LOTE’r [living on the edge’r], it will definitely swiftly transform your outfit from day to night in a second.

I’ve been collecting cocktail rings ever since I was old enough to raid my mother’s jewellery box, and my two favourites happen to be


This number that I picked up from one of my favourite find stores- Colette


And this little sparkler I picked up from Portobello Road Market.


Now warning my feint fashion hearted, don’t do this in halves! Choose a ring that’s really going to stand out and enhance the outfit you’re wearing-maybe even tie a colour in from your outfit to add to the overall look- that doesn’t mean go for a super sized, LED lights flashing knuckle duster- but something that’s going to make a statement.

Here are a few of my favourites readily available on the market at the moment:


That you can find from original, inspiring and ethical Gemporia.



This Triple Stacker Bar Ring from Whistles available from here



This incredible Guy & Max Vintage Cube Ring available from here [accommodates 3 different finger sizes- good for those last minute accessory swaps with the girls!]


Keep the boys at arms lengths with this romantic and urban edgy armour ring from My Flash Trash available from this doll of a website here. 

A good cocktail ring is always my go to accessory when I’m running out of the door- what’s your favourite go to accessory?  


January 22, 2014

Wake Up to Shake Up- Morning Music

I'm a morning person.

There's nothing better than waking up with the winter sun bounding through the window, crisp cold air lingering in the atmosphere and... well you get the point.




Big fan of the winter sunny mornings!

However, this recent take over of the grey skies isn't doing wonders for my early bird 'tude.




 With the year's most depressing day behind us, I decided to share my morning playlist with you guaranteed to have you bouncing in the am's.

Whether you're walking down the street to work or doing a little morning jig with a toothbrush hanging out the side of your mouth- it will definitely plaster a smile on your face for the rest of your day!

Ladies and Londonists introducing the "Wake up to shake up" playlist:

1. Imagine Dragons- On top of the world
2. Top Loader- Dancing in the Moonlight 
3. Example- Watch the Sun Come Up
4. M83- Midnight City 
5. Empire of The Sun- We are the People 
6. Nelly Furtado- I'm like a bird 
7. Beyonce- XO
8. The Lumineers- Charlie Boy
9. Rusted Root- Send me on my way 
10. Mumford and Sons- Little Lion Man 

So whether your rushing to your desk or soiree'ing around the city for the day- stick on some wake up to shake up and have a good day!

January 19, 2014

Ditching the Shore at Dishoom

DISHOOM
/dishu:m/ n.

1. The old Bollywood sound effect produced when a hero lands a good punch, or when a bullet flies through the air
While my bullet dodging capabilities aren’t quite up to the mark, the good news is you don’t have to be a hero to enjoy Dishoom!


Attracting crowds both old and young, Dishoom is definitely speeding up the list of my favourite experience eateries in London.   

Fun to not only eat at, but also to say [Dish-oooom]- Dishoom happens to be one of my favourite London eateries. Having successfully trialled the Covent Garden branch on Upper St Martin’s Lane many a time, it was time to branch out and hit the Shoreditch arm of this delicious place.


[The no mischief making may be a problem to most!] 


After a day of dodging torrential rains and becoming a slave to the sniffles, we decided to head to Dishoom Shoreditch to get our heat on with some palate tickling spices. 

Warning to readers, if you’re going to rock up on a Saturday night be prepared to que as much of London had the same idea!

After a half an hour wait, we were ushered by our lovely maitre de’ into the Permit Room as we waited for our table. 


Dishoom definitely encapsulates the definition of a Bombay cafe- warm, bustly and just a little rogue. 



The lighting is low and conversation roars on a Saturday night- two of my favourite things.


With a fun list of cocktails [the BollyBellini being my favourite], we settled down in the bar and decided to extensively sample the menu- you know just to make sure it was safe!



Wincing with hunger, we tucked into the restaurant’s most colourful dish- Far Far.


A crispy crackery type concoction laced in lemon and salt- as you can imagine they weren’t around for long.

Like a sign from above, our buzzer sounded and we raced over to our prized position at the dinner table. 


Getting a bounding sense of food envy from surveying our neighbouring diners tables, without a pause we’d spat out our first round order and another round of cocktails to keep us well hydrated for the evening. Determined not to order my usual preferences, I went for a curve ball with the Behl and Okra Fries.




The Okra Fries went down an absolute storm, with repeat orders from everyone at the table! Crunchy and flavoursome, the aromatic spices cleared any damage that the torrential downpour had done to me- ofcourse the second round order was purely medicinal..

Ahem.

Round 2: The Paneer Tikka with delicious charred red and green capsicum.


The uber spicy Gunpowder potatoes- guaranteed to send any signs of sniffles packing!


A heap of fiery sauteed potatoes with crunchy fried spice residue- just how I like it!



And the Classic Raita to calm your tingling tongue after the potatoes!



After the run of the mill theatrics of wincing at the thought of possibly consuming anymore, it was dessert time [my favourite time!]


Upon reading the words “intense, dark and rich” on the menu- the Guju Chocolate Mousse was my choice without a bat of a well mascara’d eyelash.
A smooth, rich and creamy chocolate mousse with depthy flavours of chilli and salt.


The perfect end to a wonderful evening.




January 18, 2014

Aevha London

With papyrus scrolled invitations flooding the front door to seamstress’s nursing their inevitable cross eyed side effects from preening and prepping garments- it can only mean one thing- Fashion week is upon us!


While scouting my list of emerging designers-one in particular commanded my attention with her fine leather craftsmanship- Alice Horlick. I’m a dedicated accessory fan- so as you can imagine a glance of a well crafted handbag always sets my pulse racing- enter Aevha London.Everything from the product to the brand message for Aevha transcends the next generation of fashion with a purely clean and tailored aesthetic.
 



The Aevha London debut Autumn/ Winter 2013/14 collection specialises in exquisitely structured shapes enhanced by the finest leathers and uniquely sourced skins. The collection is malleable to suit occasions varying from formal events through to lunch with the girls, with my favourite of them all being the Geonoir Shoulder bag...


Buttery soft Italian black leather combined with cutting edge zip details and brass hardware makes for one happy Little Londonist.

Go on have another look..

Yes.

Pair with ankle grazed jeans and a tailored blazer when you’re on the go, or go Italian chic with a boned skater dress and Mary Janes- it’s a fail safe option guaranteed to add to any outfit you pair it with!


Embossed with the signature Aevha London emblem- this accessory collection is my pitted favorite for Fashion Weeks finest finds.

Visit Aevha London to 'bag-sy' yours for Fashion Week. 




January 12, 2014

Parisian Adventures: The Final Farewell & Angelina

With only a few short hours left to soak up as much of Paris as we could, I polished off my breakfast and headed to the bridge that is the pinnacle of Paris.


Pont de l'Archevêché more commonly known as Lovelock Bridge has always fascinated me. 




Whether it’s a love of life or the romantic sort, the notion of cementing your passion with a lock and throwing away the key is definitely a good one in my opinion!

With a love of living on my mind, I purchased my lock from a sweet little tourist shop near the bridge, scribed it and went on a hunt to find my designated space on the bridge to keep my love locked down...

Unfortunately this was seemingly difficult as the bridge is literally bursting with people who have had the same sort of idea.



 Deciding to not be so “status-quo” [that and there really wasn’t any space AT ALL on the bridge]- we headed to Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor to do the honors-




 definitely recommended as there’s just so much more space!

Love successfully locked down, we headed across the bridge to partake in a few more touristy endeavors before our flight.



 Notre Dame de Paris happened to be our first encounter. The epitome of French gothic architecture dating back to 1163- there had to be a selfie somewhere in there...



Jacket from here, Tshirt from here, Jeans from here, Bag from here.

With just a few precious hours to spare, I couldn’t leave one of my favourite cities in the world without visiting the one and only Angelina for some naughty treats.


Now warning readers- usually there’s a minimum of a half an hour Que to get into Angelina but I promise you persistence will definitely pay off!




We lucked out and managed to only Que for around 5 minutes before being seated- and it took us less than that to decide exactly what we wanted.

One last glass of Bordeaux and the carrot tagliatelle to warm us up



And then came the main event.


For my Angelina first-timers; to get or not to get the hot-chocolate is not an option. Get it- and get it with extra whipped cream [if you’re going to do it, do it right!]


The thickest, richest, sweetest yet bitter hot chocolate that you could imagine with an iceberg of whipped cream sinking fast into a sea made of chocolate.


Have another look...


Accompanied by the signature Angelina’s Mont Blanc; a snow topped mountain made of a meringue base piled high with extrusions of chestnut puree and filled to the brim with whipped cream.




Delicious.

Angelina is just as much of a necessity when in Paris as seeing The Eiffel Tower; go, order the hot chocolate and live in glorious sin!