Fashion Filtered Has Moved

Hiya peeps! Fashion Filtered has now moved home and can be found on swanky new website www.fashionfiltered.com. Come and visit for more stories, features, videos and of course fashion. Hope to see you there x

Billionaire's Slippers

 

If a Billionaire wore slippers I expect they would look like these. I stumbled across these eye popping ,rich bitch, slippers by Billionaire Couture at the Dee Vesali press day yesterday at Gallery Different in Fitzrovia. The brand also showcased its first womens shoe collection alongside the slippers, chic and simple snakeskin designs with a modern, edgy and sexy twist on classic styles. All perfect for wearing with the brands signature blingin' suits. Available from February next year...

Time for a detox...

This morning I woke up hungover, wearing last nights make-up, my mouth tasting of the junk food eaten the night before - it would seem that that playing hard is my default reaction to working hard. This week has been a busy one, as well as working long hours everyday, plus three evenings, I have been to three gigs, thrown a dinner party for six, been out for two lavish dinners and survived a tequila fuelled girls night. The past week has been taxing; physically, mentally and financially. So, I have decided to go on a detox this week.

I shall not consume, or allow myself to pine for: caffeine, added sugar, refined carbs, alcohol, dairy, meat, poultry or fish.  Sounds hardcore but I know I'll feel amazing, relaxed and refreshed by this time next week. Having completed a strict 'Raw Fairies' detox in the past I am confident that I can be disciplined, even when meeting up with a group of girls at my favourite French Bistro later in the week.

I'd like to invite you to join me on my detox this week. Party season is upon us and as Christmas draws closer it would be good to have a purge before a month of over excess kicks in. Below are some of my favourite detox meals that are easy, quick and tasty, I urge you to give them a go.

Breakfast:

• Banana, blueberry and coconut water smoothie - just blend together!
• Oatmeal soaked in pressed apple juice with cinnamon and raisin - soak the oatmeal and raisins in pressed apple juice over night with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
• Papaya with raspberries and lime - hardly a recipe really - halve a papaya, scoop out the seeds, fill the cavity with raspberries and spritz over the juice of half a lime.

Lunch:

• White bean salad - finely sliced red onion steeped in a little red wine vinegar with minced garlic and olive oil stirred through white beans with a massive bunch of roughly chopped parsley thrown over.
• Vegetable rice wraps - finely sliced cucumber, carrot, spring onion, red pepper, chilli, black sesame seeds and fresh mint leaves wrapped in rice wraps and dipped in a sauce of fish sauce, ginger, garlic, agave syrup and rice vinegar.
• Miso soup or tom yum soup with added thinly sliced vegetables and tofu

Dinner:

• Black rice with Vietnamese dressing and avocado - black nanking rice or black Venus rice (not wild rice) boiled in water with a vietnamese dressing stirred through and avocado scooped out on top (Dressing: 1/2 clove minced garlic, 1/2 fresh red chilli, minced fresh ginger, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp water, 1/2 tbsp agave syrup).
• Speltotto - pearled spelt cooked like risotto with minced onion, garlic, celery and vegetable stock. At the last minute stir in fresh spinach and peas and a few drops of white truffle oil.
• Vegetable pakoras - finely sliced fennel, onion and roughly torn coriander mixed with gram flour (made from chickpea) and Indian spices. Add a little iced soda water to make into a light batter, fry in rapeseed oil and spritz over lemon juice.

If this is too much hard work you can always eat soup! Let me know how you get on...

Sssh! Designer Sample Sale This Weekend...

If you are a Londoner, or in London this weekend, thelondondesignersale.co.uk are holding a sample sale in Hampstead, North London. Designers will include Sara Berman, Glow, Belstaff and Vivienne Westwood. As well as clothes there will be a great selection of accessories, jewellery, shoes and Christmas stocking fillings at up to 80% off!

"Formerly the London Accessory Sale Ltd, the London Designer Sale is run by a small and dedicated team of fashion hungry souls. We have been running designer sample sales for over three years now, using a variety of London venues in Hampstead, Brick Lane and Chelsea. The London Designer Sale has grown from initially selling designer accessories to now covering the whole designer sector including clothes, shoes, handbags, sunglasses, jewellery and more."

The sale runs today (Friday 9th) 10.30-20.30, Saturday 11th 10.00-19.00 and Sunday 12th 10.00-18.00 at Hampstead Town Hall Centre, 213 Haverstock Hill, London, NW3 4QP. Nearest Tube Belsize Park Station. Entry £1.

Give in to A-Line

I have been a huge supporter of pencil skirts and dresses for years and turned my nose up at the return of the A-line skirt when viewing the AW12 collections, but, its time to face facts that this shape is making a huge comeback. If I want to keep my wardrobe up to date, I must move with the times.

A friend stayed over last week and asked to borrow some clothes to wear, she laughed when I brought out about 5 dresses which were all of identical silhouette. Knee length, long sleeve, tight fitting pencil dresses in block colours (the only 'wild' variations being the addition of stripes). It seems I have been stuck in a style rut for the past year... So I decided to challenge myself.

Last week I popped into one of my favourites high street store's, COS, to track down a new dress. Being a very busy person I tend to go for dresses over separates, allowing me to stay in bed longer and focus on accessorising, brushing my hair etc. A great dress gives the illusion of effort when really its effortless. Whilst at COS I picked up 6 dresses, only one was A-line, I crinkled my nose and left it last to try on... I actually gasped as I spun round in front of the mirror, checking all angles. The dress is a soft, light weight and breathable wool and cotton mix with 7/8 length sleeves, a high boat neck, fitted at the top, cinched at the waist flaring out into a wide A-line. I felt ultra feminine (tricky for a 5'8" size 12-14 girl with size 41 feet), girly and sexy. It was PERFECT! I went to a boutique launch that evening and changed in the office loo's after work, shoving my old faithful grey, knee length, long sleeve pencil dress into my bag. At the party the dress got a great reaction (probably more so because of my sudden change of style) with comments of how slim my waist looked and that I looked more youthful! So, if you haven't already, please do give A-line a go, you will be pleasantly surprised. Wool Jersey Dress, £69.00 from COS. Image from the website.

Maison Martin Margiela for HM

 

 

On Tuesday I went to go and admire H&M's latest designer collaboration with Maison Martin Margiela at the H&M Press Office. The collection celebrates key pieces of Margiela's designs over the years that have been re-worked for the collaboration and reads almost as a retrospective of the designers work. The room was subtly transformed into a gallery space with stark white walls and harsh white lights and only white drinks and canapés of white fish, chicken and naturally white coloured foods were served. What struck me most about the collection was volume. Everything was scaled up and 'man size' whilst still being tailored to fit the female form. Touches of fun were dotted around in the form of gloves that became clutches and can ring pulls scaled up to necklace size. My standout pieces had to be a huge cosy duvet coat, the silver 'sweetie wrapper' oversized clutch (modelled here by stylist Charlie Moore) and perspex heeled ankle boots which I will be hunting down when the collection launches on November 15th.

An Evening With Fabi Shoes

Last night I went along to preview the Fabi shoe collection for SS13. The evening showcased fashion and food from Italy's Le Marche region and we were treated to delicious wines served alongside truffle scented canapés by 2 Michelin starred chef, Mauro Uliassi. It was a lively party that took over the entire restaurant at Kensington's 'Locanda Ottomezzo' which was due to finish at 21.30 but was set to go on into the night. Fabi's shoes delivered a good dose of classic Italian bling that sparkled in the intimate and candle lit venue. Check out our video of the event and a review on fashionfiltered.com.  

Strictly Sexy Halloween

"In the regular world, Halloween is when children dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it." Cady, Mean Girls.

I love this quote from the teen flick hit movie 'Mean Girls' starring Lindsay Lohan, it does ring true in 'girl world'. With Halloween just a few days away I bet 90% of you will be heading to some sort of spooky party this weekend. Don't get caught out in an old sheet or naff witches hat from Tesco, keep it classy and sexy with these treats (tricks are for hookers).

1. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Lipstick in Black Tulip £23.50 from John Lewis  2. CHANEL LE VERNIS Nail Colour in Black Satin £18.00 from Selfridges  3. All Saints Hero thigh high boots £275.00  4. Lulu Guinness Perspex Lips Clutch in Black £245.00  5. Topshop Spike Leather Collar £18.50  6. Topshop Pu Strapless Corset £30.00  7. American Apparel Black Disco Pants £74.00  8. Fleet Ilya Black Leather Fox Mask £295.00  9. Lanvin Long Leather Gloves £675 from NET-A-PORTER  10. Reiss Theodora Corseted Leather Dress £295.00  11. Carvela (Kurt Geiger) Annie Ankle Strap Shoes £55.00. Images from the websites.

Short Film: Allium B AW12 Dresses

This weekend I headed up to Hampstead Heath with Thomas Walter of Tucker Productions to shoot a short film showcasing my favourite 4 dresses from the Allium B AW12 Collection. If you are not familiar with the brand they specialise in effortless and easy to wear day to evening dresses. The AW12 collection is inspired by vintage designs reworked into modern and elegant dresses that are practical for everyday wear. Allium B make dresses for women, not teenagers so it was great to use mother of two, Jane Chilvers as our model for the day. Check out the film on fashionfiltered.com here.

Clara Dress £95.00 from Allium B. Image from the website.

Specific Autumn Chelsea Boots

A friend has been on a quest for specific Chelsea boots for autumn, after pacing London's Oxford Street and surfing online fashion retailers she gave up the search an enlisted me to scope out a suitable pair that must be; dark red or dark brown, flat, patent where possible and under £400.00. Sounds like an easy task right? I can empathise with her frustration, but, seek and ye shall find and 6 pairs I did find. At least one of these pairs should keep her tootsies happy, all perfect for skinny jeans and day dresses.

1. Sloane Chelsea Boots from Carvela/ Kurt Geiger £150.00.  2. Monmouth Glossed-Leather Chelsea Boots by Church's from NET-A-PORTER £315.00.  3. Bordeaux Gwendoline Flat Brogue Chelsea Boots by Burberry from My Wardrobe £395.00.  4. Lucinda Burgundy Chelsea Boots from Jones Bootmaker £100.00.  5. Paddington Stud Trim Chelsea Boot from Dune £90.00.  6. Padlock Ankle Boot by MCQ Alexander McQueen from Matches Fashion £385.00. Images from the websites.

Sarah Forsyth: Flagship Opening

Last night I headed over to the King's Road in Chelsea to check out the Sarah Forsyth Flagship Boutique opening, there was more snake than you could charm the pants off, plus plenty of white wine and vintage celebs. Head over to fashionfiltered.com to check out our video and a review.

 

Green People: Organic Skincare

As you will know from previous beauty posts, I am a massive supporter and user of organic, chemical free skincare, this market has greatly expanded and I find myself spoilt for choice. Each time skincare runs out I have the happy task of trying out something new, this time I decided to give Green People a whirl. I usually pop to local health store, Earth, in Kentish Town, Whole Foods or John Lewis for skincare but yesterday, during my Ocado shop on their iPad App, I stumbled across Green People whilst looking for soap (yes, I'm old school and use soap). Ocado are doing 20% off Green People products at the moment so it was the perfect incentive to purchase. None of their products are tested on animals, don't contain nasties (like parabens, synthetic fragrances and petrochemicals), are at least 80% organic and they donate 10% of their profits to charity. I tested their Fruit Scrub Exfoliator and the anti-ageing Vitamin Fix 24 Hour Moisturiser. After using a gentle cleanser I double pumped a good amount of exfoliator and massaged on to my skin, paying special attention to my oily and blackhead prone nose and chin. The ground Apricot Kernel did an effective job of sloughing off dead skin cells whilst the astringent Witch Hazel dried up any oiliness, my skin felt taught, refreshed and looked more radiant. Before trying out the moisturiser I kept to my usual ritual of swiping some rose water across my skin. The moisturiser was thicker than most and one pump gave a generous amount, after slathering on I felt it sat as a layer on my skin then slowly began to sink in (I would wait a good 5 minutes before applying foundation). Once absorbed my skin felt slightly taught and toned, soft and dewy to the touch with a slight reflective sheen.  A few hours after and it feels like its still doing the job and there are no signs of dry skin on my cheeks, which I usually get with other moisturisers, must be down to the avocado, olive extract, evening primrose and seaweed. I thoroughly recommended that you try this Award Winning brand. Fruit Scrub Exfoliator £11.95 and Vitamin Fix 24 Hour Cream £14.95 from greenpeople.co.uk.

Fight for this shoe

The excitement of re-discovering a once lost and forgotten pair of shoes can sometimes feel like opening a present on Christmas morning. You can imagine how I squealed with delight when my good friend re-acquainted me with these once worn strappy shoes boots last week. I originally bought these shoes (from Office) as part of an outfit for a music themed dress up 30th birthday party, the shenanigans were held in a hay bale filled poly tunnel on her parents farm in Woburn. I decided to go as Cheryl Cole when she appeared on The X-Factor singing her 2009 hit 'Fight for this love'. Despite being on a farm, and the party going on till gone 3am, I refused to break character and soldiered on in my heels till pain took over and I swapped for UGGs, I put the shoes down and never picked them up... Since then they have been weathered by 2 years of rain, ice and snow in the poly tunnel and still seem fine, just a bit dusty! To celebrate getting them back I wore  them this weekend and was pleased at the amount of compliments they received. I did naughtily wear them without washing so ended up with pretty brown feet. Today I've been busy resurrecting them to former glory with a good clean and a lick of much needed shoe polish - a make over in black. I look forward to getting good use out of them. Pictures of me below as 'Cheryl' and with 'Amy Winehouse'. Picture of Cheryl Cole on The X-Factor in 2009 from superstarmagazine.com.

Sunday Shopping: Vintage Fashion Fair London

With this weekend set to be sunny, even if a little chilly, make sure you get out out and about and pop along to Primrose Hill's Vintage Fashion Fair on Sunday 14th October. The fair specialises in vintage clothing, hats, handbags, gloves, shoes, jewellery and textiles from 1800s  to the 1980s at affordable prices. Despite being well established and in its 4th year the Vintage Fashion Fair remains small and friendly with a total of 25 stalls.

Organiser and owner of Vintage Fashion London, Marilyn Tye, aims to address the heavy demand for pre-loved treasures and introduce novices to vintage, "High Street fashion can look more interesting and quirky by adding one or more vintage pieces and then your look is all your own! Its very okay to mix vintage with new!"

Be sure to get there early before all the best pieces get snapped up! Open from 11.00 to 17.00.  Admission £3.00. Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London NW1 7AY. If you can't make it this Sunday the next scheduled dates are the 11th November and 2nd December - in time for christmas shopping (eeek!) Image from the website.

Launch: 59 Strings Online Boutique

Last night I popped along to the launch of online boutique, 59 Strings, at The Arch Hotel London. The room was buzzing with chatter over the cool soulful tunes spun by the DJ whilst really good, zesty wine flowed. 59 Strings is a revolutionary e-boutique that focusses on unique investment fashion pieces that go beyond trends. So what makes 59 Strings stand out from the likes of e-tailer giants NET-A-PORTER and My Wardrobe? Their USP, '3 Ways Of Buying', is a selective buying strategy that puts the customer at the heart and in control of purchasing. You can 'Pre-Order' by reserving pieces at discounted prices, if enough pieces are ordered the item goes into production (a great way of only supplying for carefully calculated demand). You can select 'Made-To-Order' and customise your purchase, giving you the power to influence design and create a one off and personalised piece. If you are a little impatient and need it now the 'Ready-To-Ship' option lets you select pieces from the website, delivered in 2-10 days. 59 Strings showcases the best of artisan European designers, 95% of their products are designed and made in Europe. Many of the designers were at the launch to talk through their work which was insightful and fascinating. My date for the evening, actress Claude Hoadley, jumped at the chance to try on this bold 24k gold tiger skin cuff by British designer Dominique Lucas. I snapped my favourite pieces before Claude and I headed off to private members club Home House on Portman Square for a wild end to what started out as a civilsed and elegant evening!

 

Dominique Lucas jewellery (above)

Maisha Lizard Clutch (above)

Dresses by Katya Katya Shehurina (above)

Gold plated cuffs by Fabel (above)

 Bags by Amelia Powers (above)

Necklaces by Assya (above)

Necklace by Claire English (above)

Blow your payday budget on... Zara shoes

Zara have outdone themselves once again with another awesome shoe collection for AW12. I could stare at myself in the red fringed ankle boots in the mirror all day and not get bored. Check out the rest of the collection online, you will really struggle to pick a pair, well, at these prices you can get two pairs. Buy and wear NOW before they sell out or get killed by popularity (although the risk will be totally worth it). Anti-clockwise from bottom: Cowboy ankle boot with heel and fringes £119.00. Basic ankle boot £59.99. Wedge court shoe £69.99. Ankle boot with metal toe £79.99. Combined heel court shoe £49.99. Tiger wedge £79.99. Images from zara.com.

Watch Paris Fashion Week Shows Here!

Gutted to not be at Paris Fashion Week? Do not fret, catch up on the shows here and at fashionfiltered.com. Videos will be updated on our .com so check back in to catch the shows from the comfort of your living room. If you've missed key New York, London and Milan shows you will also find them here.

Mint Velvet: AW12 Campaign

High end, high street brand, Mint Velvet, have just released a sexy new vid showcasing their Autumn/ Winter 2012 collection. Filmed on the coast at Beachy Head in East Sussex the video embodies the relaxed glamour that the brand prides tself on; effortless, wearable and easy to co-ordinate style. Get a head start before these on-trend hero pieces sell out.

1. Freya print blouse £59.00.  2. Alexa print wrap dress £99.00.  3. Black boucle knit jacket £69.00.  4. Caramel leather A-line skirt £149.00.  5. Wine zip hip jeans £59.00.  6. Black leather over the knee boots £199.00.  7. Black leather multi zip slouch bag all from mintvelvet.co.uk. Images from the website. Video directed by Mike Harris, check out his website here mikeharris.tv.

Peter Pilotto SS13

This collection was a case of 'more is more'. Intricate embellishments of beadwork and mirrors. Mixing of fabric, texture, pattern and scale. Layering, pleats, ruffles, cut-outs, slits and varying hem lengths. Everything was going on here but clever design made it all work. All photos property of Fashion Filtered Ltd.