Category Archives: Fashion

Hot on the Highstreet Week 261

Posted on by

Dosa at Egg sounds more like an Indian breakfast dish than a pop-up shop in Knightsbridge. Egg is a beautiful boutique that is usually known for its discreet white exterior and muted simple clothing. The Dosa pop-up at Egg is a blast of brightness, a collaboration of two artists (Christina Kim and Sam Schonzeit) and everything is pink. Needless to say this made me extremely happy.

The Dosa summer 15 collection is named ‘untitled pink field’ and is lively and high spirited. A beautiful collection of lightweight, floaty garments that showcase a range of rose hues. Smock dresses and billowing shirts make for the perfect summer wardrobe. The clothing collection is displayed on minimalist industrial rails in front of a wall installation inspired by the lotus pink sunsets of Myanmar and the pink-robed Buddhist nuns of Bagan. It is a patchwork collage of neon pink and white postcards, which are also available to buy individually.

In true Egg style there are cherries and cupcakes (all pink of course) for shoppers to pick at and pretty peonies adorning the entrance. It is a gloriously celebration of the colour pink and an immersive experience for fashion and design enthusiasts.

egg
37 Kinnerton Street London
www.eggtrading.com

Exhibition open
5th June – 25th June
10am – 6pm
Monday  – Saturday

Fashion Forward Afternoon Tea, The Kensington Hotel

Posted on by

With the arrival of the Savage Beauty exhibition at The V&A, London has gone McQueen mad. The elegantly chic Kensington Hotel is celebrating the iconic fashion designer with a decadent afternoon tea inspired by the collection. Located just a short walk from the museum, it is the ideal place for a spot of tea following a trip around the show.

Walking inside this quietly regal hotel I was amazed I had never visited before. The hotel is decorated with appealing art work and attractive furniture and we sat in a light window table, in the corner of the hotel’s new Town House restaurant. Around us huddled guests were excitedly demolishing their stylish afternoon meal.

A range of exotic teas were on offer, but feeling patriotic we opted for classic earl grey, made with fragrant tea leaves. Happily settled in our comfortable seats and sipping our tea, we were delighted when the highly anticipated cake stand of treats arrived. The special tea includes traditional finger sandwiches, warm from the oven scones, savoury nibbles and immaculate hand-crafted cakes created with the McQueen designs in mind. I loved the pale blue pastel striped crockery which contrasts with the dark and glamorous cakes.

Luckily my guest for the day was an expert sandwich taster, and she nodded her head in approval as she tasted the soft and flavoursome cucumber, smoked salmon and chicken sandwiches. I am a sucker for scones and loaded them high with jam and cream. They tasted just-made and were the perfect crumbly consistency. Needless to say the other three scones didn’t last long! The mini pastries were truly beautiful, a selection of a few carefully made treats: a fondant iced cake in the form of one of Alexander McQueen’s must have studded clutch bags; Butterfly Chocolate cupcake presented in the style of the Butterfly Hat by Philip Treacy seen at McQueen’s Spring/Summer collection in 2008, and; a delicate hand-decorated biscuit inspired by a McQueen dress.

The waiters were attentive and accommodating ensuring we had enough clotted cream and jam at all times! They were happy to box up our remaining cakes for take-away when we couldn’t finish it all.

If you are looking for the ultimate fun girls day out in London, tickets to the McQueen show and a booking for the matching tea at The Kensington Hotel would make the perfect itinerary.

More information and book in your fashion forward afternoon tea here.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 260 – Shopping in Edinburgh

Posted on by

Considering it is the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh’s highstreet has a poor selection of brands to splash your cash at. Students have to make do with H&M, Topshop and Primark, they isn’t even a Uniqlo for your basic buys. There are plenty of designer boutiques on offer, including the smart department store Harvey Nichols, and for tourists there is an abundance of tartan and shortbread stores. When I visited last weekend I went on the hunt for a few interesting independent shops for high quality, quirky designs that inspire you to spend.

Life Story – I loved the look of this concept store from the exterior and interior. This little design shop stocks a range of brands from all over the world, including interior items from Ferm Living from Copenhagen, Washi Tape from Japan and knitwear from Hilary Grant. The items are beautifully displayed and often have a paper tag explaining their existence.

Dick’s – A stylish menswear shop offering a carefully curated collection of clothes, accessories and homeware. Chic men can completely kit out their wardrobe and homes here with striped naval jumpers from Andersen-Andersen, crockery from Koninklijke Makkum Tichelaar and notebooks from La Compagnie du Kraft Mikro. I fell in love with the luxurious flannel grey cashmere scarf made by Begg + Co.

Hannah Zakari – This wacky shop sells affordable and fun handmade jewellery by Hannah Zakari. The perfect place to pick up a unique gift or souvenir of your stay in Edinburgh. I loved the perspex weather stud earrings, depicting varying weather conditions. The shop also sells art work, look out for the quaint prints by Kate Broughton.

Walker Slater – This beautiful shop stocks the finest tweed in Edinburgh. Promoting the heritage of Scotland but offering modern tailoring and bespoke suits, this is the place to get stunning Scottish outfit. Walker Slater also have a range of sophisticated accessories and sell a few select British brands like Albert Thurston. There is now a womenswear shop too, just down the road from the original store.