Saltaire, Salts Mill and Cream Cakes...

One very cold Friday me and my Mum enjoyed a trip to Saltaire Village and the Wonderful Salts mill. The mill houses one of the largest collection of David Hockney's art work as well as textile exhibitions, antique shops, arts and crafts supplies and the Salts Diner (serving beautiful cakes and sandwiches). 

The David Hockney (who was born in Bradford, like myself) collection includes a variety of pieces, paintings, sketches, etchings and photomontages. My favourite piece has to be Celia, 8635, Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, 1973.
I wanted to buy everything, beautiful cards and note pads with William Morris and Liberty prints and all the books from the fashion table. The antique shop had some amazing things, vintage cameras and telephones, fur coats, china teapots and even a tea making machine!

After getting lost among the books and antiques, Salt Village bakery provided us with a much needed cup of tea and a gorgeous scone with cream and jam. 

Salts Mill, Saltaire, Bradford

Beautiful books and note pads

Lovely antiques

 My gorgeous cream and jam scone

 David Hockney at Saltaire Road

 Celia, 8365, Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, 1973

 Red Wire Plant, 1998

 Grand Canyon, South Rim, 1982

  25 Trees

The Eccentric....
Louise Gray Autumn/Winter 2013 

A must see show at London Fashion Week, Louise Gray sent an array of eccentric and crazy garments down the Catwalk this A/W13, but eccentric and crazy in a good way! 

Geometric prints covered girly seperates of skirts, cami's, jackets, shirts and tee's.  Fabrics were bright and colours clashed and giant earings (and rings) topped off the eccentric designs that are Louise Gray. 

 

Louise Gray Autumn/Winter 2013

Image sourced from insideout.topshop.com

Louise Gray A/W Show live from the Topshop showspace!

The Wonderful…..

Topshop Unique Autumn/Winter 2013

Topshop Unique were not afraid this year to push the boundaries of fashion, it was all about colour and texture!

I loved the layers of, fur, leather, silk, PVC, suede and sequins in was all truly amazing.  The colours were striking, from bright orange to dusty pink and chocolate brown to that electric red!  

The garments were oversized yet feminine with midi length wool coats, bomber jackets, fur shawls, fitted cropped trousers in all colours and my favourite the flowing midi length skirt, which graced the catwalk in a variety of textures and colours, my favourite being the shimmering dusty pink one.

Models looked truly stunning with hair warn long and loose, I personally loved the blue eyes, a contrast to the clothes, but it just worked!

Topshop Unique A/W13

 Image Sourced from insideout.topshop.com

Take a look at the Topshop Unique A/W13 show for yourselves

The weird the wonderful and the downright eccentric!

London fashion week kicked off this weekend and thanks to topshop.com I can watch shows live from the Topshop Show Space at the Tanks Tate Modern.

My weekend has been full of weird and wonderful designs starting with Topshop Unique yesterday (Topshop's unique collection was beautifully feminine with dusty pinks and fabrics to die for) down to Louise Grey just after lunch today and with many more to watch, including Meadam Kirchhoff tomorrow at 1pm which I’m sure will be full of amazing and eccentric treats to feast our eyes on.      I can’t wait!!

My Topshop Showspace Schedule

Today I'm Wearing.......

Jacket Levi's, top and skirt Topshop, clutch bag Kurt Geiger, trainers Nike

New York New York

New York kicked of fashion season last week and after a week of shows I thought I would show you some of my favourite designs from the Autumn/Winter catwalks.
Fashion for the colder weather has to be my favourite, luxurious winter coats, leather boots, hats (I love my woolly hat and I'm never seen without mine during the winter months), scarves  jumpers, all I need to keep cosy and warm. 
The collections from New York's Fall/Winter did not disappoint....
  
Rodarte
Sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy brought boxy jackets, layered skirts with leggings, acid wash on hip jaunting leotards (and in hair), rugged leather jackets all very irresistible. The fabrics and shapes clashed well, the only way I could describe this is 1980's power women meets 1990's grungy girl. There collection was inspired by there home town of Santa Cruz, mainly the fond memories of their younger days. 

 Rodarte Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter  2013

 Alexander Wang
Alexander took texture to a new level this season with mohair, fur (I especially love the mitten and snoods), leather and wool . Alexander was inspired by boxing and this can be seen in the over-sized fur mittens. He also used the dropped waist (a favourite trend from the 1920's) in his over-sized coats and dresses and a mosaic pattern gives  a wool jumper beautiful detail. The colours are kept dark, blacks, greys and dark metallic blues. 

 Alexander Wang Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2013

The Row
Designers Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen presented their Autumn/Winter collection in a rented New York town house cluttered with furniture of all kinds (The Olsen's seem to choose an unusual place to show their collection each season). The one thing that grabbed my attention when browsing their Fall collection was the beautiful red textured mules. I'm in love with them! The collection included an amazing silk jacquard dress, a dress that is so simple yet amazingly elegant and over-sized feminine jumpers with loose, slashed midi length skirts.

 

 The Row Ready-To-Wear Fall/Winter 2013

All images sourced from http://www.style.com/

Tomorrow New York Fashion Week will come to a close, next up London!!! Keep Posted!
 
P.S.  I've revamped the blog and have added a reactions button, click if you love the posts. Thank you. Enjoy!

Cherry Shortbreads with love........

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner I thought it was time to show you all my baking skills (these are much better that my cooking skills! ha) one Thursday afternoon. After flicking though many recipe books I decided on Shortbread hearts, perfect for the coming occasions. I added cherries for taste and colour and the heart shape cutter just makes anything look pretty.

Here is the recipe I used and a few pics (only a few, I got a little messy) of my baking fun! Enjoy!

Cherry Shortbread Hearts

You will need:

A Handful of glace cherries,  9oz Plain Flour, 3oz Caster Sugar, 6oz Butter and a Heart shaped biscuit cutter.

1. Heat oven to Gas Mark 3, 160c, 325f and place grease proof paper on your baking tray.

2. Finely chop a handful of cherries.

3. Mix flour and sugar in a bowl, rub in butter.

4. Add cherries to the mixture

5. Knead well to form a smooth dough.

6. Roll dough out (on to a floured surface) using a rolling pin and cut hearts using heart shape cutter.

7. Place hearts on a tray and put into the premins or until pale and golden.

8. Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.

Now your cherry shortbread hearts are ready, give to those you love or just enjoy with a lovely cup of tea. Just like me...

 



Mary Katrantzou meets denim..... and Current/Elliott

Mary Katrantzou x Current/Elliott
Images sourced from shefinds.com

Mary Katrantzou has been a designer I have loved since I first saw her designs grace the catwalk. Those amazing digital prints seriously grab your attention!
My favourite collection so far has to be Spring/Summer 13, the dresses were simply stunning yet modern.

I am now excitied to tell you Katrantzou has collaborated with denim company Current/Elliott. It was there 'Vintage-feel coolness' she admired. For this collection she took print inspiration from passports and visa stamps and added them too 'The Ashdale dress, Boarding Tee and Boyfriend jeans'. (Source: ELLE, March 2013)
This collection is denim and print heaven!

This collection will bring Katrantzou a whole new customer, one who LOVES print but with that denim edge! Enjoy!