Mulberry AW13

I remember writing my post about the Mulberry SS13 collection after attending their press day back in October and musing on how strange it was to be thinking about summery pastels and chiffon delights in such bitterly chilly weather. Well, I’m mildly depressed to say that it feels entirely appropriate to be thinking about super chunky knits and thick tweed overcoats in London right now. For any overseas readers not currently suffering seasonally inappropriate semi-tundra weather conditions a) can I come and stay with you please? and b) it’s absolutely bloody freezing here in the UK. Given that the pre fall collections start arriving in stores in May, I’m tempted to give up on summer altogether. But enough of my miserable whinging and back to the matter at hand, Mulberry.

Our feet may have barely recovered from fashion month but this week, press day season began. Not that I’m complaining of course, spending my days looking at lovely clothes and catching up with my favourite fashion folk is hardly a chore, although all that mincing does leave precious little time to actually get any work done. Yesterday’s press day line up was a pretty fantastic one and despite feeling ever-so-slightly fragile after an evening of over indulgence at the Fred Butler Easter Bonnet Parade (followed by ill advised cocktails at Soho House, oops) I found myself so swept up in the Mulberry magic that my headache very nearly subsided.

You may or may not remember my post about Mulberry’s SS13 collection. To summarise, I fell head-over-heels in love with absolutely all of it and was convinced that not even Emma Hill repeat the performance next season. Once again I was proved wrong, and I didn’t mind one bit. As anyone who read my London Fashion Week diaries will recall, I absolutely adored the Mulberry show but in the flesh those clothes were even more delectable. Think luscious leathers in rich shades of emerald, navy and chestnut so buttersoft you couldn’t help but stroke them. Green tweeds applied to immaculately cut overcoats and cute bombers with laser moulded leather cuff detailing. Preppy chic platform loafers in delicate ostrich… And then there were the bags, oh the bags. My beloved Willow tote has been given an AW13 update in hunter green and cobalt blue hues and super luxe crocodile and calfhair skins.

The latest addition to Mulberry’s handbag clan in the Suffolk which, between you and me, is vaguely similar to the Alexa but better. Falling somewhere between a satchel and a doctors bag, the Suffolk is both exquisite and practical. There’s a handy shoulder strap for when you’re lugging lots of stuff and it’s structured enough to avoid the dreaded “bag sag”. Another fave was the Bayswater shoulder style complete with super sweet ladybug hardware.

As per always, I left with a wish list the length of the Nile… Friends and family if you’re reading, it’s the Willow I’m after.

Love Ella. X

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Ella Catliff in Fashion 2 Comments

Introducing: Cobra Society

As on so many occasions, I may or may literally be “introducing” you to the brand in question. Cobra Society is now in its fourth season but it is only recently that I really learnt anything much about them and I thought their’s was a sartorial story worth sharing. Before deciding to write this post or even looking at the label’s website I’d heard the name and seen the designs in countless fash mags and on the feet of various style setters. At first glace Cobra Society appears to be all about brights, eclectic patterns and putting a city chic twist on ethnic influences. Of course, it is all these things, but also many more besides. The rich hues, jazzy colour combinations and an air of haute bohemia inherent in the brand’s style isn’t just “inspired by” global wanderings and traditional artistry, it’s quite literally the product of it. During her travels designer Alex Davis became so enamoured with North and Central African culture that she decided rather than try to replicate the local artisans’ aesthetic, she wanted to support and nurture it… Not to mention, bring the real deal back West so that the rest of us could appreciate it.

Since launching Cobra Society in the autumn of 2011, Alex has employed locals from villages in North Africa and the Middle Atlas Mountains to create the hand dyed and woven Kilim rugs used for each and every accessory she produces. From a strictly style-oriented perspective, this results in a hand-crafted yet luxurious feel and each pair of boots or smoking slippers being ever-so-slightly different from the others. On a larger, or at least rather more worthy scale, Alex’s policy of using (and paying for) the time tested skills of these villagers help support communities living a very different life to the fashion forward females wearing their work in London or Los Angeles. And if the ethical aspect and craftsmanship behind Cobra Society doesn’t convince you that each design is deserving of its distinctly designer price tag just remember that Jessica Alba, Jennifer Lawrence and HRH Beyonce are fans… Yep, totes worth it.

Love Ella. X

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Ella Catliff in Fashion 1 Comment

LPA EXCLUSIVE! 30 % Off Felder Felder AW13

Like me, I know many of you are more than partial to a bit of Felder Felder. The talented twins have perfected the art of the party dress and their girly-with-an-edge aesthetic is a failsafe recipe for effortless cool. Given their designer gorgeousness, Felder Felder pieces aren’t entirely budget friendly so I’m thrilled to be able to offer you dear readers, an exclusive 30% off their latest catwalk fresh collection!

This season Dani and Anette decided to embrace all things digital (girls after my own heart) and allow Felder fans to pre order the AW13 collection via a specially created e-boutique, ensuring that they’ll have the exact object of their affections months before it arrives in the shops. With under a week to go until they close they close their books and you miss out on that fabulous Felder Felder frock forever (well, until autumn anyway) the girls very kindly offered La Petite Anglaise readers the chance to place their orders at a fraction of the usual price. Besides their masterful cocktail-to-club attire, Felder Felder have also delivered some killer separates this season (oxblood trench coat… Need I say more?) so for all you sensible shoppers who don’t blow the budget on one digital print dream dress, now’s your moment!

Red Trench Coat with Fur Vest – retail price: £1150, LPA price: £805 – click here to buy

Red Lizzy Feather Print Dress – retail price: £425, LPA price: £298 – click here to buy

Black Polo Neck with Suede & Stude – retail price: £230, LPA price: £161 – click here to buy
Black Quilted Leather Pencil Skirt – retail price: £675, LPA price: £473 – click here to buy

Red Pami Cable Knit with Suede – retail price: £270, LPA price: £189 – click here to buy
Pink Latex Leggings – retail price: £1580, LPA price: £1106 – click here to buy

Browse the whole collection by clicking here and to claim your exclusive La Petite Anglaise reader discount by using the code LPAVIP30 at checkout. The offer ends on March 31st… happy shopping!

Love Ella. X

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Ella Catliff in Shopping 1 Comment

Felder Felder

3 Ways to Wear it: McQ Leather Skirt

I haven’t done a “3 Ways to Wear it” post in absolute YEARS! I think two to be precise. Actually back then it was “5 Ways to Wear it” and I was so completely and utterly clueless about blogging, the internet and technology in general that the initial leather skirt snaps were all different sizes, varying shades of over exposed and largely out of focus. When I initially decided to ditch my plan of studying History at Leeds University (aside from anything else I wouldn’t have survived those cold climbs) I thought that I wanted to be a stylist. Then I discovered my love of blogging, attended fashion week a couple of times, realised that the would-be-stylist success rate was significantly less than that of an actor and forgot all about it. Well, over the past few months my passion for dressing others has been reignited in a pretty major way thanks to a couple of personal shopping projects and a styling gig for French Connection. Seeing as the chances of my getting to style a Vogue editorial for some time (slash ever) are slim, I concluded that I should just do it on here in the most fabulous manner possible! So, without further ado, I give you the first in what I hope will be a long and stylish series of “3 Ways to Wear it”.

McQ Black Double Zip Skirt, £565, click here to buy

Ok, so don’t get me wrong, this zip detailed McQ leather mini is brilliant. However no matter how obscenely cool a garment it may be, I found it an absolute b*tch to style. This is no doubt down to my penchant for pastels and prep rather than the skirt itself but I’m still pretty pleased with the results…

Casual

As you’ve no doubt realised by now, I’m not overly adept at “casual”. I find cocktail dressing an absolute doddle and my failsafe daytime formula is chiffon blouse + A Line mini, embellishment an optional extra. A leather skirt is not by nature a low key piece in the way that skinny jeans or a nice, big comfy jumper are. Out of all three looks I found this one the most troublesome and pretty much emptied the entire contents of my (HUGE) wardrobe trying to find a top to wear with it. In the end I settled on a simple striped tee by BDG at Urban Outfitters, opaque tights, flat black ankle boots from Massimo Dutti and a very old beanie. It was absolutely freezing when we took these pictures so I apologise for any strange faces I’m pulling.

Preppy

Ahhh, preppy… My sartorial bread and butter. Unsurprisingly, this look took approximately 2 seconds to style and despite the fact that leather and zips don’t exactly scream Blair Waldorf, I think it works rather well. These Oliver Sweeney Monk Shoes are a new footwear favourite of mine and toughen up my Whistles boucle jacket brilliantly. I really adore this look because while it’s got the desired prep-factor (knee high socks, boucle jacket, crisp white shirt) there’s still a hint of androgyny.

After Dark

I lied when I said look number 1 was the trickiest, creating an “after dark” ensemble proved just as problematic. Despite trying on approximately 100 blouses (exaggeration… just) I couldn’t find a damn thing in my wardrobe that didn’t look ridiculous with this badass biker beauty. Then I decided to see what it looked like with this scarlet Boutique by Jaeger number and added white Kurt Geiger accessories. Both I and my very patient photographer Jayne were dubious at first but when we saw the photos we decided the leather/red/white combo was kind of awesome. What do you reckon?

Love Ella. x

Ps) Do you like “3 Ways to Wear it”? If I’m boring you all by bringing it back please do tell me!

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Ella Catliff in Look Du Jour 6 Comments

Dining with Diesel & Grazia

To anyone unfortunate enough to have been following me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram last Thursday, I apologise for the endless stream of food snaps and commentary. I know full well how annoying Foodstagram and tweets like “omg best dinner ever AND I’m sitting next to the Editor of such-and-such” can be. But, much like selfies, emoticons and excessive abbreviations, sharing ones over excitement with the unsuspecting (and often uninterested) world is a pitfall of social media… Plus, on this occasion I really was having a #totesamaze evening. Continuing on from the other week’s wild Studio Africa launch party, Diesel decided to further celebrate their collaboration with ethical fashion brand EDUN by teaming up with Grazia Magazine to host an intimite dinner.

The dinner was held in the brand’s pop up store, “Diesel Village”, a fantastic African inspired set up on the top floor of their Regents Street flagship. The label have held a few get togethers in the space over the past few weeks but on this occasion it looked cooler than I’ve ever seen it. One area had been transformed into a private Ghanaian Restaurant called The Chop Bar with a beautifully laid table laden with mouthwatering appetizers awaiting our arrival. Having absolutely frozen while waiting for my car outside the Atelier-to-Go event at The Sanderson (tough life lol) fellow blogger, I’d never been more in need of a stiff drink. Luckily cocktail gurus, Soul Shakers had installed their own wooden hut bar in another part of the store so I didn’t need to wait long for my wish to be granted. I’d been promised an “intimate” dinner, which often means 30 + guests but on this occasion they certainly weren’t exaggerating. Besides me and the Diesel team there were barely ten others, including Grazia Editors Lily Russo and Hannah Almassi. After half an hour or so’s mingling we were ushered to our seats and the evening’s chef, Zoe came appeared to tell us about her cooking and pass around traditional Ghanaian wine, drunk communally from a hollowed out coconut.

As a die hard sushi and steak fan, I was slightly dubious about how I’d take to a menu that included black eyen bean terrine, stewed lamb and various spicy sauces. Finding that my preconceptions are completely wrong isn’t exactly a rare occurence and it turned out that Ghanaian cuisine is just about the yummiest thing ever. Two rib ticklingly, belly warmingly delectable courses and God-knows-how-many cocktails later it was time for a spot of pre-pudding entertainment courtesy of musician, Jessica Fitoussi. It’s a true testament to the sultry songstress’ talent that her melodious tones made us stop our, ok my, incessant chatter but she managed it.

All too soon Jessica’s performance drew to a close but our disappointment was soon alleviated by the arrival of incredible peanut brittle served with vanilla ice cream and rich Kenyan coffee. Despite my proclamation some 15 minutes earlier that I “couldn’t physically eat another thing”, the dish was so scrumptious I was tempted to ask for seconds. Our final treat was a shot of mystery liquor which caused many an eye to water and several of us to make the perhaps foolish decision to continue the party in Soho. All in all, it was a fantastic night and a big, BIG thank you to Diesel and Grazia for including me.

Love Ella. X

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Ella Catliff in Parties 2 Comments

« Previous 1 2 ... 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 ... 166 167 Next »