It’s official. Conde Nast are taking over the (fashion) world… Well either them or Net-a-Porter, possibly both. No longer content with owning countless magazines all over the globe, the publishing giant has now opened its own college to mould the minds of future sartorial leaders. Opinions have been fairly divided about this venture and I have to admit I was pretty dubious myself, especially considering the fees. Then I attended the launch party and heard the opening speeches from Conde Nast President, Nicholas Coleridge and Easy Living Editor turned college principle, Susie Forbes. Forbes and Coleridge explained that rather than teaching students how to design and make clothes, the 10 week Vogue Fashion Certificate and 1 year Vogue Fashion Diploma courses will educate them on the other all-important areas of the industry, ranging from PR and Marketing to Journalism and Styling. Of course, Conde Nast know the ins-and-outs of the fashion world better than anyone and will no doubt be able to offer students contacts and job opportunities on par with Central Saint Martins or FIT. But the aspect I find most interesting is the decidedly business focused approach they will be taking. Having heard practically everyone who spoke at Vogue Festival the previous weekend emphasise the importance of commerce as the necessary counterpart to creativity, launching a college to teach just that is an interesting and savvy move from Conde Nast… Anyway, we shall see. On a lighter note, the launch bash was a fabulous one, not that anyone expected anything less.

Say what you like about fashion folk, but you can’t accuse them of lacking in stamina. Despite having spent the weekend working, partying or both at Vogue Festival the usual London faces were out in force. Daisy and Pearl Lowe, Martha Ward, Tallulah Harlech and Alice Temperley all made an appearance along with Caroline Issa, Lucinda Chambers and countless other industry names. In between sipping champagne and snacking on seared scallops we had a poke around the college which I have to say, looked about as slick as it gets.

Love Ella. X

As I mentioned in my most recent outfit post, last Wednesday I attended an incredible event at The Saatchi Gallery. While I had vowed to forsake parties this term in favour of early nights and mornings in the library, when an invitation from Roger Vivier Creative Director, Bruno Frissoni and legendary fashion icon, Ines de la Fressange lands on your doorstep only an idiot would ignore it. I have to admit that after opening mine I did a little dance of glee around the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong a lot of the do’s I go to are fabulous, fun or both (yay) but I had a sneaking suspicion this one would really be something to remember. And uess what? It was.

For some inexplicable reason I always seem to leave sorting out my ensemble for events right until the very last minute. Generally speaking I’m organised to the point of being very annoying and won’t pretend not to be the kind of girl who plans her fashion week outfits months in advance… I even own a specific fashion week rail that takes pride of place in my bedroom twice a year. But while fashion month demands your attention from the second you submit your press accreditation application aeons before it arrives, a mid week soiree can creep up on you. With far more luck than I deserved my Matthew Williamson frock and Roger Vivier clutch were delivered just in time and, joy of joys, they fit like a glove and went perfectly. Feeling incredibly glam and wishing I could dress like that every day, I headed in the direction of Chelsea.

After grabbing a quick drink at a nearby bar (we were worried about being “unfashionably early”) my party pal, Anna Hart and I made our way into the gallery to find the place already packed with more famous fashion faces than you could could shake a stiletto at. While having my picture taken by the Roger Vivier branded board I noticed that next in line for a snap was none other than Jerry Hall looking impossibly beautiful in a slinky scarlet number. Once inside and with a cocktail in hand I realised that this was going to be my very favourite kind of party with fellow guests including the perfect combination of fashion friends and serious A-Listers. In between reminiscing on Rimini with Tali Lennox who was playing DJ for the night and drinking more elderflower martinis than anyone should legally be allowed to consume in an evening I spotted everyone from Jasmine Guinness and Guy Pelly to Camilla Rutherford, David Gandy and Marie Helvin.

As you’ve probably gathered from my instagram feed, I’m a HUGE Roger Vivier fan so being in a space filled with portraits of the brand’s most iconic shoes surrounded by beautiful people wearing their current creations was heaven. All in all, it was a perfect evening and if anyone reading this has a whopping great budget and an urge to throw a party I implore them to do it at the Saatchi Gallery.

Love Ella. X

As I mentioned in my latest Look Du Jour post, I wasn’t exactly at my best on the evening of the Jaeger Boutique launch party. Fresh of my flight back from Rimini and feeling less than fresh thanks to having rather too much fun at the Calzedonia Swimwear event, I’ll admit I did consider pulling a sicky, skipping the soiree and watching Sex and The City re runs in bed. But my love for Jaeger won out plus, I’d already committed to interviewing one of the Boutique’s newly stocked designers on camera (eek!). Once showered and dressed in an adorable coral number I felt almost human and teetered down Regents Street on my rather precarious heels to a place I visit more often than is healthy for my bank balance, the Jaeger flagship store.

With its’ four floors of Jaeger awesomeness, I can’t get enough of this shop and now they’ve added the boutique, I may as well just move in. Besides the oh-so-adorable Boutique by Jaeger line, this fabulous floor also stocks a carefully edited selection of other independent labels including Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Studio Nicholson and Charlotte Taylor. Besides independent fashion brands the boutique also contains an exquisite array of stylish treats including delicious smelling candles, homeware, books and a super cute cafe. Like I said, this place is lethal to anyone armed with a credit card.

When I arrived, less than half an hour after the party officially began, the boutique was already packed fit to burst with well dressed guests. The crowd was a mix of London industry insiders and famous fashion faces with Daisy Lowe, Lara Bohinc, Angela Scanlon and Laura Bailey all there to toast the latest venture of the iconic British brand. By this point I was feeling considerably better (although still steering well clear of the champagne) and had a good laugh catching up with some of my blogger pals including Monica of The Elgin Avenue and a double denim clad Peony Lim. I also had the pleasure of being introduced to Claire Judge, the lovely and talented founder of divine lingerie brand Aloe London who I was due to interview later that evening. Before we knew it the cameras were ready to roll and it was time to wave goodbye to the party and head downstairs to shoot our Q&A. The video will be coming your way soon and if you’re ever anywhere near Regents Street I highly recommend a visit to the Jaeger Boutique.

Love Ella. X

Images courtesy of Lea Salomone

So picking up where we left off yesterday, after an hour or so’s time wasting in my hotel room I suddenly found myself with five minutes to get into my gladrags and report to reception. By this point I had inevitably managed to smear my lipstick halfway up my face and had to perform a slightly panicked and more than slightly shoddy rescue mission, leaving me looking like I’d just finished eating a very pink and rather messy ice lolly. Once I’d rectified the situation to the best of my make up abilities (AKA badly) I tottered downstairs as fast as my stiletto clad feet could take me. I certainly didn’t envy whoever was in charge of getting everyone across town to the show venue and really have to hand it to the Calzedonia team in terms of organisation. With 50 VIPs to walk the red carpet, everyone had their own scheduled pick up, transfer and drop off times staggered in gaps of 3 minutes. We also pretty much all had our own chauffer driven Mercedes, a fact that  while fabulous, no doubt made the whole thing even more of a nightmare to coordinate. I was sharing a car with David Downton and he regaled me with tales of Galliano fashion shows gone by all the way there. I’m not going to lie and pretend I didn’t enjoy the red carpet experience, I loved every second of it. While I doubt many of the photographers had even the slightest clue who I was they all played along and papped me anyway.

Once inside I made a beeline for the bar where I found David and Laura with whom you’ve probably gathered I spent most of the trip. After learning that there would be a constant stream of snacks rather than a sit down dinner we stationed ourselves in prime position for constant booze and food top ups. I’m not usually a fan of canapes but, like most things, once you have one you end up having about twenty and by the end of the night I must have consumed an entire shoal of shrimp. Besides allowing us to take full advantage of the tasty treats and champagne on offer, being among the first arrivals also gave us plenty of opportunity for people watching and with Ireland Baldwin, Tali Lennox, Poppy Delevingne, Josephine De La Baume and Leigh Lezark all in attendance, there were some fantastic frocks to ogle. Finally Sarah Jessica Parker arrived clad in vintage clad in vintage Amanda Galanos and flanked by a team of the burliest security guards I’ve ever seen. There was no way in hell I was leaving without getting a snap with her so having a) had a couple of drinks and b) no shame whatsoever when it comes to this kind of thing I headed over to say hello. Stylish though she may be, I’ve never quite been able to separate SJP from her neurotic-beyond-belief Sex And The City alter ego and couldn’t decide whether I loved or loathed her. As of that night I can safely say it’s the former; Sarah Jessica Parker was poise personified and charming beyond belief… Major new girl crush for me.

With the guest of honour in the building, it was finally time for the show to begin and we were ushered into a gargantuan auditorium where the other 3000 odd attendees were already waiting. We took our seats in the front two rows, the lights went down, the music struck up and the incredible, extravagant, jaw dropping swimwear spectacle began. From tightly choreographed dance routines to Tyson Beckford in even tighter trunks, the whole thing was utterly mesmerising. The collection progressed through a series of themes ranging from vampish black with a hint of kink to nautical chic in sweet sailor stripes and all out sequinned glamour in mermaid worthy jewel toned hues. At one point Ke$ha appeared on stage to deliver a performance that had us (ok, me) dancing in our seats, all the while ridiculously gorgeous models strutted their stuff on the catwalk. Another highlight was Sara Sampio, the current face of Calzedonia, being suspended from the ceiling in a giant circular hoop.

The extravaganza finished with an explosion of confetti that covered the entire audience, no mean feat considering how many people were spread over such a vast space. By the end, I felt positively exhausted from the hot bodied, high impact exertions I had seen and in need of a restorative glass of champagne. Luckily it wouldn’t be long before my wish was granted as no sooner had we returned to the VIP area, it was time for the after party to begin… And what an after party it was! Leigh Lezark and The Mishapes were on the decks fresh back from Coachella, their energy levels evidently not dented by a wild week in the California desert. We drank, we danced, we had a very very good time. We – and I assume I speak for everyone here – felt fairly appalling the next morning while loitering around Bologne airport when our flight was delayed.

Very big thank you to Calzedonia, Bryan Morel PR and everyone at the Grand Hotel Rimini for a fabulous 24 hour trip!

Love Ella. X