Liberty promises stellar Christmas experience

Luxury emporium Liberty in which, in my fantasies, I would happily shop for eternity, revealed a gorgeous 'advent calendar' concept for its Christmas campaign, which will - scarily - be in store in a matter of months, with the glitter and bauble-laden Christmas shop opening later this month.

A six foot high mock up of the store replete with giant advent calendar windows and scenes behind, in a room strewn with fairy lights, set the Christmas anticipation flowing, even if it is a little premature. I particularly loved a dining scene featuring a languorous hostess in a ochre silk dress draped across her finest china. Will be trying a new approach to entertaining at this year's seasonal drinks party.

Needless to say the quest for perfect birthday gift continues, and in one of the tableaux spied this gobstopper of a ring by Mawi - an eau de nil crystal set on a gold ring, which may jostle for a position on the wishlist. Also noted these rather luscious teal stilettos by Nicholas Kirkwood, a name buzzing on the lips of every shoe aficionado in the know, and really can see why.

Fantasy eyelashes courtesy of Shu Uemura and Viktor & Rolf

Gratuitous for a Tuesday lunchtime, perhaps, but there's nothing like a pair of Swarovski-embellished false eyelashes to pep up a work-a-day face. I nipped into Liberty to peruse their Christmas fantasies and came out sporting some fab Shu Uemura falsies, lustrous black with a strip of silver glitter and mini diamante at the root, slick eyeliner-style. Added vim an otherwise pedestrian outfit of black shirt dress and flesh tone heels, and made returning to the office altogether more exciting. I was very disappointed when the sheer quantity of slap applied in the morning meant they were soon working their way of my eyelid - before I could get a pic too - boo! Upside is that they last up to 10 wears, so next time a pic will materialise!
That said, the these lashes were great, but Shu Uemura's collaboration with fashion's Viktor & Rolf trumped them hands down - three ultra-ultra glamourous false eyelashes which sang from the Dutch duo's design songsheet - looped black lashes, princess cut gold metal numbers, plus an exaggerated, elongated option like a bird's wing in flight,all presented on a white mask like demi-face in a white presentation box. You'd never want to wear them, but they are something to covet, plus they are oh so timely, given the current House of Viktor and Rolf showcase at the Barbican.
Only marginally less showtastic were the Shu Uemura black lace falsies and teal marabou option, again, my sparklies were pale in comparison to these beauties.
It sounds like Shu Uemura has a fair few exciting tricks up its sleeve, product-wise, in the near future, so watch this space as I have been promised early heads up!

Scott's for le vrai fashion popcorn - with hot sauce!

The weekend just gone I was very excited to dine at Scott's on Mount Street in Mayfair - a street which is one of the London shopping destinations du jour. It was a celebratory treat, as Scott's is not an everyday kind of place (unless you are a lucky, lucky individual), although the excellent service was just the right side of familiar and never snobbish - always the sign of a good restaurant. You might be wondering why this tale has a place in my fashion blog, but I have decided it can be justified as a. Mount Street has some very cool shops, and b. Scott's serves up a dessert option of 'popcorn ice-cream' - and if fashion popcorn were a dish, this is the dish it would be.
Real vanilla ice-cream, a handful of baked toffee popcorn (swish Butterkist) and a good measure of hot, dark chocolate sauce in a wee silver jug which you can pour yourself or the waiter will assist if you are too weak with anticipation. Absolutely straight to the top of my dessert top 10 - I have eaten three mini Magnums today in an unsuccessful effort to fill the void left by no popcorn ice-cream today. Unfortunately, due to high celeb/VIP count, no pics were allowed so I cannot illustrate, you will have to use your imagination until such a time as I attempt to recreate it at home...!
Oh yes and the shopping. Obviously nipped into Marc Jacobs store, where there was a fabulous 70% sale on (thank God I was on my way elsewhere or mightn't have left without spending a pretty penny), ahead of the new season's collections arriving this week for the keen shoppers among us. One of the shop's ultra-cool staff confirmed plans for a Marc by Marc Jacobs standalone shop for London this autumn - which is great for the more price-conscious! - plus learned Lanvin is a rumoured future addition in the vicinity - we will wait to see. There are definitely a few shop front renovations going on along Mount Street; noted Fiona Knapp and Wunderkind as soon to open additions to the mixer.
So anyway, a good meal and mini retail browse done, and we headed to the Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank, where as dusk fell we played the interactive Volume scuplture, by United Visual Artists - a mesmerising arrangement of jutting light and sound-emitting columns which react to the people walking around and between them. We then headed up to Skylon bar, grill and restaurant - named in homage to the massive elliptical sculpture erected riverside for the 1951 Festival of Britain. Its double height glass frontage onto a fabulous view across the water, and its chic fixtures and fittings with just a brush of nostalgic retro made it a fitting place for an end-of-evening cocktail.

Fashion photography's A-list turns the lens inward at The Photographers' Gallery

Sooo... Soho-bound for a splash of musical theatre (Jersey Boys - who knew how prolific Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons were? 5 stars etc) spotted the mill of a private view around the entrance to The Photographers' Gallery. Took it as the sign that fashion snappery exhibition - Fashion in the Mirror: Self-Reflection in Fashion Photography - which kicks off tomorrow, was in celebration mode. Obviously I had other fish to fry yesterday evening, but it it definitely high on the list as a must-do cultural experience, especially given the exhaustive (exhausting?!?) list of fashion's favourites on the roll call.
I haven't checked it out quite yet, so at this stage this is all based on hearsay (verdict and pics will be returned in near future), but it's a curated exhibition of the lens being turned on a selection of eminent snappers de la mode, turning the camera back through its own lens to convey the image-makers and the processes around the production of the final, glossy image. The who's who includes 20+ international and agenda-setting names, from the old school - Helmut Newton, Harri Peccinotti (he of the original and best Sunday Times mag of the 70s if my theory classes serve me right), Norman Parkinson, Irving Penn to name a few - to the current - Nick Knight, Mario Testino, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin, and Tim Walker (who has a solo London show on right now, I believe) among others.
How much these guys - and yes, bar one, they're all guys (would one or two more women - Corinne Day, Sarah Moon - have hurt?) - would actually tear apart their persona and their environment I'm not sure, as they are astute creators well aware of the power of the photographic image and - I would imagine - would want to ensure that their authoritative position remains intact. That said, it will be interesting to see the work of such prominent photographers grouped together - to see the parallels, the lineage, the relationships between styles and attitudes. Will be checking it out before it closes on September 14, for sure...

OPI and Vive La France!

Just a teeny, tiny post today, as it is getting on in the evening and I at least need to pretend that I have better things to do than sit here blogging away at all hours...

I nipped into the autumn/winter 2008 preview-cum-party for beauty brand OPI, purveyor of nail varnish of kooky name fame (Don't Socra-tease me!; Chick Flick Cherry etc etc). I am a sentimental fool, but very excited to learn that this season's theme (always based on a geographic location) is none other than La France, with plenty of reference to Paris thrown in for good measure - apt perhaps given that the event took place one day after Bastille Day (July 14). I have a strong affection for the country - what with my ancestors skipping from Brittany to Mauritius about 200 years ago - plus its fabulous capital city, even more so since it has huge romantic connotations for me - my last trip was topped off by a proposal on La Tour Eiffel as all the monuments were illuminated - maybe it was the cliche we all fear but it didn't feel it at the time that's for sure...
So come July, or whenever the new colours hit the salons, I will very definitely be sporting 'We'll Always Have Paris', an ultra-aged wine red (pictured, though doesn't do it justice); plus of course 'Eiffel For This Colour', a similar hue, but with a touch of sparkle and slightly pinkier; and most probably 'You Don't Know Jacques', although this one'll be more for the khaki-taupe matt shade than the name necessarily, as it'll make a great addition to the autumn wardrobe.

Little Jewellery Boutique London throws up lush Alexis Bittar cocktail ring

Just a day into my hunt for the perfect cocktail ring, and already hit upon option number one. Hooked up the Little Jewellery Boutique London website - word of which had come from hip jeweller Laila Aitken (she of Delaila fame) when at the Anedoti pop-up in early June - and within seconds happened upon this little beauty by Alexis Bittar nestled among LJB London's bevy of covetable, sparkly lovelies.
Couldn't see much in the way of info about what this ring is made from and the rest (would've been useful maybe), but the look says it all to me - a handsome 2.5x3.5cm diameter multi-faceted stone, this is definitely a statement ring. Loving the greenish hue of the stone, which has a heritage vibe, plus the gold studs on the mount, which add a touch of rock and roll class; at £200 I think it's a bit of a steal - not cheap enough for everyday purchasing but still in the 'affordable' price bracket.
Somehow Alexis Bittar had escaped my attention before now, so checked out his website and sounds like he's been around for a wee while - New York-based and a member of the CFDA (the US designers' club) - but his designs feel really fresh and totally unstuck. Apparently his debut collection was made from reworked pieces of depression-era chandelier glass -loving the provenance factor, always exciting. Would like to stay the trail stops here, but just need to keep mooching around and see what else is out there for the birthday wish list...

Two month countdown to Big 3-0

Can't believe day almost passed without reference to the fact that it is two months to the day til my birthday... the Big 3-0 in fact (like being 18 but with money so I've heard!).
Have made the decision that big present this year has to be a fabulous cocktail ring and have decided to start - and document - the hunt here on Fashion Popcorn. Am thinking something along the lines of this high-kitsch paste jewellery which was such a vital element of my NYE pirate look, but very slightly more expensive, natch...

Grown up body shimmer from Michael Kors Beauty

As previously posted, my affection for sparkle - even just a touch - knows no bounds; I do have concerns that throwing a handful of Jones Tones pvc glitter randomly over my torso will no longer suffice, however, and am always on the look out for the more mature approach to body sheen.
This 'Leg Shine' stick from Michael Kors Beauty is one such option. Needless to say there's no rule saying that it is only for pins and can't be worn anywhere and everywhere (though possibly drawing a line at the face?), so I tried it out last night on my arms and 'decolleté', as the gloomy sky didn't shout bare legs at me. It added added a lovely subtle gold sheen, and a delicate waft of the Michael Kors's fragrance, a gentle but deep floral - tuberose? - scent (practising my 'nose' - usually with wine tho - so may be way off!). I am trying to illustrate the sparkle potential here, but needless to say my camera phone just doesn't quite capture the minutae of detail so not convinced it does it justice - although it does illustrate how practical the packaging is - glitter stays on the stick and your body rather than exploding everywhere!
Oh and digging my cluncky blackwood bangles - sourced from a family friend in her local market in Mozambique - stack em high! Perfect for accessorising a bright outsized floral print dress which needs strong jewellery to prevent excessive girlydom...

Mamma Mia! - get your Keds on!

Last night found myself, with a gaggle of girlfriends, at Clapham Picture House for Mamma Mia! The Movie. More or less an interactive cinema experience. Once one of our party had got over the shock that they actors were singing their way through the film (the term musical passed her by) we suspended disbelief and, aided by a glass of wine or possibly two (beauty of indy cinemas), spent the next two hours trying not to sing so loud we drowned out the real singing, which was inevitably more tuneful than us.

Arguably this isn't a fashion film - unless you count metallic glamrock ultra-flares and stack boots, various swimwear options and a splash of Missoni - but it's definitely got a few touches of excitement. Meryl Streep looks very cool in her dungarees - a personal guilty pleasure of my weekend wardrobe - and dirtied up Keds. I now appreciate why my friend took it upon himself to stamp on my pristine, fresh white Keds - at the time I sulked but now I realise they just can't be mucky enough. Meryl's were sandied up, camoflage in a dusty Greek island environment, and looked truly insoucient - although still love Baby's zippy take on the sneaks in Dirty Dancing. Come what may, am going out this weekend to specifically grime mine up...

By the end of the film, as far as I was concerned, Meryl Streep, Julie Walters and Christine Baranski were in the cinema with us and knew we were singing and dancing in the aisles. What had started as a grown-up night out at the flicks morphed into convincing the waiter at Green & Blue wine bar that Madonna was definitely appropriate for a chic wine-fuelled environment - a decision possibly regretted when we decided to add our own vocals to La Madgesty's. Tripping on into the night we espied Dee-lite on the VJ screen at the Kaz-bah, its light up dance floor and an intuitive DJ (Tiffany's I Think We're Alone Now hit the mix as soon as we stepped onto said dancefloor), and we were out on the tiles for the duration. Tied up my blouse 80s-tastic style to expose my midriff and we proceeded to pull out the 'mean Britney', 'Showgirls gone wild' and various other 'best of' dance moves til home time...