La Petite Party Diaries: My Daily Presents Mary Katrantzou

The fashion industry tends to pounce on any excuse for a party so come festive season it’s not unlikely to find four or more taking place on one evening. The quadruple event conundrum can go one of two ways. Either you try to attend them all, a foolish idea that usually results in a high-heel related injury. Or you pick the best couple and actually enjoy them. Well Tuesday evening was another packed night on the fashion calendar but given that My Daily were hosting an evening with Mary Katrantzou, it was a bit of a no brainer for me.

Mary Katrantzou et Moi

The My Daily team

After a long day of gallery visits and lectures (this college lark is exhausting!) I donned my gladrags and headed into the heart of Soho. After several unsuccessful attempts I managed to find my way to the top floor of ultra chic champagner bar, Kettners. The intimate venue was already packed with bloggers, journalists and other fashion folk, who’d gathered to meet and mingle with designer-of-the-moment, Mary Katrantzou. Mary is one of my absolute favourite designers and having spent a wild weekend together in Doha back in March I was both excited to see her and ever-so-slightly nervous she might have forgotton who I was. Luckily Mary remembered our Middle Eastern trip and we reminisced over champagne and canapes whilst waiting for the main event to start. After a significant amount of bubbly had been consumed we took to our seats and My Daily Editor, Libby Banks set about grilling Mary on just about every aspect of her life and work.

Mary Katrantzou & Susie Lau of Style Bubble

Me & Tala Samman of MyFashDiary

I’m not going to paraphrase the whole thing as that would just be too boring for words, instead you can watch the best bits here.

Mary Katrantzou, nicest woman in fashion? After hearing her inspiring and endearing interview with Libby, I think we all wanted to be Mary’s best friend. Especially if she might lend us one of her fabulous frocks…

Love Ella. X

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Ella Catliff in Parties 3 Comments

Mary Katrantzou

La Petite Party Diaries: Stag 16 Private View & Launch Party

Yep, you guessed it, another party post. But unlike your average fash bash, the Stag 16 soiree wasn’t solely an excuse to get dressed up and guzzle champagne… it was a ‘do for a cause and a thoroughly worthwile one at that. This year ultra luxe lifestyle brand, Graham & Green joined forces with young persons homelessness charity, Centrepoint and commissioned 16 top artists and designers to design their own resin stag’s head. The fruits of their labour were then showcased to a select group of guests at the W Hotel on Tuesday before being auctioned off with the proceeds going to Centrepoint. Graham & Green will also be continuing to sell their own plain stag heads with 16% of profits going to Centrepoint, what better excuse could there be to indulge in a little home improvement?

Moi et mon petit ami

I was lucky enough to be invited along to the launch and have to say that the sixteen stag heads were absolutely breathtaking. Then again, what else would you expect from the likes of Manolo Blahnik, Katie Hillier, Stephen Webster and Lulu Guinness? The wonderful Ronnie Wood stopped by to strike a pose in front of his multi-coloured creation as did Gavin Luker and Lee Broom.

Ronnie Wood

Gavin Luker

Lee Broom

Emma Cook’s Stag

Having lured my unsuspecting boyfriend to the event with the promise of free drinks and scrumptious canape’s (of which there were indeed many) he was a little unimpressed when I then spent most of the evening pestering him to make a bid for Emma Cook’s divine sparkly pink Stag. It would just look so perfect hanging on my bedroom wall, don’t you think?

Love Ella. X

All images courtesy of James Veysey

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Ella Catliff in Parties Leave a comment

La Petite Party Diaries: Cocktails and Craftsmanship with Gucci

This week I was back in my gladrags and off to the beautifully renovated Gucci store on Bond Street for a very special kind of cocktail party. Thanks to my Tuesday morning splurge I might not be wining and dining for some time but if ever there were an occasion which required a whole new ensemble then let’s be honest, that’s it. The shop had been redesigned by Frida Gianni herself and its opulent, Art Deco style provided the perfect setting for an unbelievably elegant evening. On the ground floor there was an Artisans Corner where we were able to watch the accessories we all covet being handmade by the brand’s ultra skilled Florentine craftsmen.

Immaculately dressed guests were treated to a preview of Gucci’s stunning Cruise collection and the opportunity to explore the new and improved store with a drink (or three) in hand. I’ve been obsessing over Gucci’s AW11 collection for about six months now so was hugely over excited to get my hands on it in the flesh. The jewel toned furs and floor sweeping gowns were every bit as spectacular in the shop as they looked on the runway and was tempted to spend the entire evening trying them on but just about managed to resist.

If a cocktail party is hosted by Gucci then you expect the catering to be pretty impressive but nothing could have prepared me for this. Fresh fruit cocktails, foie gras and melt-in-your-mouth tartlets were just a few of the delicacies handed out by a troop of the most gorgeous waiters imaginable. Great food, delicious drinks, glamourous guests and eye candy all around… Now if that’s not a recipe for a perfect party then I just don’t know what is.

Love Ella. X

All images courtesy of Toby Keane Photography/GUCCI

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Ella Catliff in Parties 2 Comments

La Petite Party Diaries: Louise Gray for Brora Launch Party

What do you get when you cross one of London’s hottest young design talents with Britain’s best loved cashmere brand? Knitted deliciousness and a damn good party to toast it’s arrival, that’s what!

Last Thursday evening I was a very busy girl indeed and after a couple of hours of mincing with Notting Hill’s best dressed at Nanette Lepore’s party it was time to hot foot it over to Chelsea to celebrate the launch of Louise Gray’s collection for Brora. As you can see from these campaign snaps (above) Louise’s collaboration with the knitwear creator extraordinaire are every bit as scrumptious as you’d expect. Think Brora’s trademark luxuriousness with a quirky twist in colourful shades, surely the perfect way to ward off winter blues.

Moi

Louise Gray (right)

Henry Holland (centre) & friends

Louise looked eccentrically chic as ever in her own designs and guests including Henry Holland got stuck into canapes and cocktails (yes more) whilst indulging in a spot of dressing up, courtesy of Brora’s fab AW11 collection. It was so lovely in fact that I couldn’t resist treating myself to a pair of cashmere glovlets (or two). Probably not the wisest way to spend my student loan but when the temperatures are dropping and the champagne flowing, what else is a girl to do?

Love Ella. X

Posted on November 9, 2011 by Ella Catliff in Parties 6 Comments

Louise Gray

La Petite Party Diaries: Nanette Lepore’s New Season Soiree

The beginning of November is always a magical time. After all, it brings with it the arrival of Starbucks’ red cups, Harvey Nicks’ Christmas window displays and last but certainly not least, party season. The festive period always seems to pass in a haze of high heels and stiff drinks and judging from last weeks jam-packed party schedule, it looks like this years going to be no different. On Thursday evening I donned my gladrags and headed over to Notting Hill where New York design legend, Nanette Lepore was hosting an evening of champagne and shopping at her divine Westbourne Grove boutique.

Moi

Yum

Nanette Lepore, Jewellery Designer Anne Bowes (AKA my mum) & Me

Guests including Zara Martin and Jasmine Guinness were treated to adorable cupcakes and an exclusive preview of Nanette’s SS12 collection. As you may have gathered from my previous post, Nanette’s new season offerings were beyond covetable. Think zesty brights, feminine shapes and super cute accessories galore. The lovely and oh-so-glamorous Nanette had jetted in from the Big Apple to be there and regaled us with tales of how she whipped up her daughter a swan costume frome scratch (lucky thing!) mere minutes before she had to leave for a Halloween party.

Zara Martin & Nanette Lepore

Jasmine Guinness & Nanette Lepore

Having not read my invitation all that thoroughly I only realised an hour or so in that as well as drinking, dancing and generally having a good time, we could also shop Nanette’s AW11 collection at a fraction of it’s usual price. Naturally most of the rest of the evening was spent trying on the entire contents of the store, and I think it’s safe to say that no one went away empty handed.

Love Ella. X

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Ella Catliff in Parties 1 Comment

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