London Fashion Week Sept 2011

If you haven't guessed it, I am SUPER excited for London Fashion Week. Designers will be presenting their Spring / Summer 2012 collections and I am really looking forward to seeing what they show the public. A lot of planning goes into the execution of the shows and it gets so hectic around this time.

Vauxhall Fashion Scout has released their schedule and it includes some of the best, young and talented designers out there today. I have already requested my tickets in advance and I suggest you all start doing the same. Of course, spaces will be limited because everyone wants to be a part of London Fashion Week so be a step ahead and start requesting your tickets this moment!

Changes can be made to the schedule at anytime so be sure to keep up to date and follow the Vauxhall Fashion Scout blog here

Little Mistress Bloggers Event

I was invited to the Little Mistress event at their showroom at Great Portland Street last Thursday. Although the weather was awful that day, I'm so glad I made it on time to the event. It was a fun filled night with drinks and surrounded by beautiful dresses- what more can one ask for?

For those of you who are not familiar with the brand, I'll give you a little insight on them. Little Mistress is a contemporary high street brand that delivers trends straight from the catwalk with fashion forward pieces that are still affordable. The brand has a strong signature style with pieces for all social occasions and looks that can be worn day and night. I also have a few highlights and images from the event to share!

I can't wait to get some Little Mistress pieces in my closet and the fact that it's affordable makes me love it even more! Check out www.little-mistress.co.uk for more from their collection

Pop-Up Store at LCF

I am sure by now most of you have heard about the London College of Style opening their pop up store, 'College Shop'. The retail space will launch on the 8th of September, in the lead up of London Fashion Week and will run for just three weeks. College Shop will be located in the heart of the West End in Kingly Court, off the famous Carnaby Street.

The store will stock items from some of its notable alumni, including William Tempest, Basharatyan V, Beatrice Boyle, Ada Zanditon, and Hasan Hejazi.You can be rest assured that the pieces in the pop up store will be fabulous- they've been selected by an impressive buying team including Angela Quaintrell, former buying director at Liberty. Most pieces will cost around £100-£250, while the general price range will start at £20 and go up to over £400

Beatrice Boyle

Ada Zanditon

The launch is set to coincide with Vogue's Fashion's Night Out and will be an exclusive event for London College of Fashion VIPs including fashion designers and notable industry supporters.In addition to all of this, the store will be giving out free canvas bags for purchases over £50 and items are individually signed by the designer.

For more information visit the LCF information page here

Markus Lupfer

Markus Lupfer is German-born, London-based designer who launched his first collection in 1998. Shortly after the successful launch of his collection, in 2001 he was awarded with the New Generation Award. In addition to presenting his collections at London Fashion Week, Lupfer was Creative Director of Spanish fashion house Armand Basi.

His designs are unique and quirky but still represent a sophisticated edge of simplicity. Earlier this year, the label launched at the renowned department store Selfridges as the brand continues to grown internationally and attract worldwide press. Markus Lupfer is stocked at exclusive boutiques including Net-a-Porter.com, Colette in Paris and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong.

Markus Lupfer has gained recognition for his innovative use of prints, embroidery and graphic embellishments in his knitwear pieces. His innovative approach to fashion has put him on the list of several fashion houses and has lead to acclaimed consultancy projects with Mulberry, Cacharel, and Armand Basi.

The Markus Lupfer fan base includes women of all ages and celebrities such as Gwen Stefani, Lindsay Lohan, Diasy Lowe,Roisin Murphy and Lily Allen.

www.markuslupfer.com

Beauty Review: Aussie Hair Serum

We haven't had a 'Beauty Review' in a while so I thought it was about time for a new one. Today's product is the Aussie Hair Protection Plus Shine Serum.

Are you familiar with Aussie products? If you're not I suggest you get acquianted with the amazing products this hair product brand has to offer. It's very popular here in the UK and is readily available in most drugstores and supermarkets, but unlike other products Aussie products live up to the hype! I've tried countless hair products but I became an Aussie convert after using their 3 Minute Miracle deep conditioner. My hair went from limp, dry and feeling weak to absolutely amazing- it's become my own version of a DIY alternative to the typical costly salon treatment. Today I'll be focusing on the Protection Plus Shine Serum.

Their Protection Plus range is available in a number of products but the serum is my favorite. Unlike most serums, this one does not leave your hands and hair feeling sticky or greasy. I typically use the serum after my hair has been washed and let it air dry for some time then use the serum on the ends of my hair. It comes off very easily and leaves your hair shiny and smelling nice- which is always a plus (all Aussie hair products smell amazing!) It's affordable and retails for about £5 or sometimes less in stores like Tesco.

Check out www.aussiehaircare.co.uk to view their entire product range

Beautiful Soul

You probably don't know this but I'm a huge fan of eco-friendly fashion, so of course when I heard of the label 'Beautiful Soul' I had to find out more about them.

Beautiful Soul is a British luxury womenswear label based in the heart of Notting Hill. The eco-friendly label has been featured in acclaimed publications Vogue, Tatler, The Sunday Times Style and VOGUE.COM to name a few; and have participated in exhibitions at London Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.

With all their designs produced here in the UK, the label strictly abides by its policy of 'zero waste', while still producing immaculately designed pieces. Beautiful Soul is fast growing label gaining recognition for their creativity and "open-minded approach to fashion". They offer two collections, their Ready-to-Wear collection called 'Beautiful Soul London' and a bespoke 'Kimono Collection' which is available to buy all year round.

Their designs have already been seen on a number of celebrities and models including Kate Nash, Lily Cole and Laura Bailey, among many others. I definitely need one of the Beautiful Soul Kimono's in my closet, it's not super cheap but well worth the money. Keep an eye out for the label as I'm sure they are bound to explode any time soon.

For more information visit www.beautiful-soul.co.uk to view more of their designs

Charlotte Taylor

Charlotte Taylor is a talented designer who launched her eponymous label in 2009. Prior to launching her label, Charlotte graduated from the renowned Central Saint Martin's College of Art & Design and worked with various designers including Marcus Constable and Luella. With her Spring/Summer 2010 collection, she was named Vauxhall Fashion Scout's One to Watch.

Autumn/Winter 2011 Collection

The Charlotte Taylor signature is "bold, quirky and unexpected with a dose of old fashioned British elegance". Her designs typically incorporate unique prints and are suitable for all kinds of women, from edgy young fashionistas to mature elegant women and it is unusual in today's fashion world to find a designer who caters to a large range of consumers.

Charlotte will launch her Spring/Summer 2012 collection in September during London Fashion Week and I cannot wait to see what she has in stock for everyone. The collection draws inspiration from beekeeping, fishing, Japanese art and culture. With plans to expand across the pond and into the US market, Charlotte is a very busy woman and I look forward to seeing what her next move will be!

www.charlottetaylorltd.com