One stop (Top)shop

This week has been truly glorious as London has been stuck in a heat wave - WOOP! It has really got me in the holiday-mood (okay, let's face it - when am I not in the holiday mood?!) and I've already found 3 perfect purchases that no summer holiday should be without -

Summer Scarf - It's hawt outside but a trusty lightweight scarf is a must for breezy summer nights - LOVE the palm motif.

Beach Dress - A total staple, you will live in this all holiday-long.

Straw Trilby - the sun has got his hat on and so should you.

All available at www.topshop.com

L' Elephante update

This week I've spotted...

11 down... Hey what's 258 minus 11 to go...?!?!?!

Go West!

Last Tuesday the fash-pack descended upon Home House and jumped through the looking glass into Nine West AW10.

Nine West's strongest collection to date juxtaposes directional styles with lady-like sexiness.

These 3 boots were real-stand out pieces...

Work the utility trend with key ski buckles.

Tres Chic. This boot was Harper's Bazaar's Jo Glynn Smith's favourite.

Is it a clog? Is it a boot? Hell who needs to decide - throw in some shearling and in my opinion this is THE IT-bootie for next season - NEED IT IN MY LIFE NOW.

Kell on Earth?!

So on Saturday night I was invited to my gorgeous friend Camilla's house-warming party. She is seriously cool and is a stylist for matches.com

Now don't get me wrong... The party was muchos fun but I was rumbled twice hiding in Camilla's room with a copy of Kelly Cutrone's - If you have to cry go outside..." which I nabbed from her bookshelf! LOL!

So Camilla gives me the book and I have spent all weekend long reading it and WOW-WEEE! "Mama Wolf" is one inspirational BITCH - (read Babe in total control of herself).

Here are a few choice Cutrone-ism's which have struck a chord with me so far:

*Be fearless and intuitive

*Attune to the sound of your own voice and LISTEN to your inner-voice

*Have a journey not just a life

*Think of yourself as a spiritual warrior

*Be a WARRIOR not a WORRIER

*Be detached, detachment means that fear, worries and anxieties will no longer paralyze you

*Learn to silence your mind

*When you're the most happening person at the party - it's time to leave!

"Take the years when you're young - say between the ages of 15 and 35 and go balls-out on intuition and follow your dreams."

"I know now that I am ultimately here to take in the adventure of life and to know and express my highest self and best qualities, thereby doing my part to transform the earth."

"My experience in the fashion industry has taught me to act confidently and decisively without regret or self-doubt."

There you have it folks.

p.s. Back to Camilli Vanilli - style crush.

- ummmm need this Freda "polly jumpsuit" from Matches in my life right NOWplease.thanks.bye

This week's event of the week - You're cordially invited...

Nine West at Bluewater is hosting an exclusive "Girls Night Out" shopping party complete with champers, cupcakes, and Clarins goodies! Get yo' asses down to Bluewater on Wednesday 12th May from 6pm - 9pm where you will have the chance to meet Nine West's creative director and all-round mister cool Fred Allard -

- This guy is an absolute G and it's worth coming down just to be able to hang out with him! Not only will you be inspired if you're a budding fashionista but there are freebies galore from Hotel Chocolat and Clarins, as well as the chance to win a free pair of shoes!

There's also 20% off all shoes and accessories for all the shopaholics... I've already got my eye on these:

This is a strong shoe. Just the right amount of fierce, marrying this summer's utility and tribal trend yet practical enough to carry you from office to after-party!

Last week's event of the week

Perks of the job... Fabulous Franny Fisher and I were invited to an exclusive Shortlist screening of Hot-Tub Time Machine complete with 80's after-party. Now mind you, it was a Wednesday night and I'm not usually one for such crazy shenanigans on a school night but my goodness was it worth it or what?!!?!?

The film is hilarious... HILARIOUS. Like proper actual laugh-out-loud funny - "I don't care that I'm guffaw-ing in a cinema and just snorted in front of all of these people"- funny. And I am sure all of my cohorts would have agreed judging by the sheer volume of laughter throughout the film. Besides anything 80's themed is a-okay in my book so it was well worth it.

Afterwards we were presented with an impressively shaken array of cocktails and mocktails to make Tom Cruise jealous and of course danced the night away to Duran Duran and The Cure, not forgetting to strike a pose with whatever 80's memorabilia we could find!

Black Book for H&M

There's been a new drop of Black Book T-shirts! Earlier this year H&M teamed up with 18 year old T-shirt entrepreneur Andre Lorenz Stock from Stockholm who is behind the Black Book T-shirt label and a range of hot new designs have just hit stores!

The range of original T-shirts has been designed in collaboration with H&M customers from all over the world who have emailed in their own contributions. Here's my favourite which has already made it's way into my wardrobe!

BLURRY.

Elephant Parade - London 2010

"Painting a brighter future for the endangered Asian elephant"

Elephant Parade is a conservation campaign that shines a multi-coloured spotlight on the urgent crisis faced by the endangered Asian elephant. Brought to you by www.elephantfamily.org, the event sees over 250 brightly painted life-size elephants located over central London this summer.

Each decorated by a different artist or celebrity, the elephants brighten and beautify the city, enhancing every park, street corner and building they grace. Running from May to July 2010, this is London’s biggest outdoor art event on record. With an estimated audience of 25 million, hopefully upto £2 million will be raised for the Asian elephant and benefit 20 UK conservation charities. So far I've spotted these 3 lovely fellows:

All elephants are for sale by auction and every bid placed is a bid for habitat. Mini elephants are available to buy at Selfridges, 80 Regent St, 36 Carnaby St, Greenwich Central Market and online at www.elephantparadewebshop.com.

Barca - ROCKS.

Last weekend I jetted off to Barcelona for a little May bank-holiday jaunt. I was told by Reeme one of my gorgeous stylist friends that I must find Doshaburi - I believe her exact words were - "go forth and pillage"

Oh how glad I am that I listened! Doshaburi is a little gem hidden amongst the labyrinth of side streets in Born. Stocking hip labels such as Pelican Avenue, Ground Zero, SWD (Skyward) and Marjan Pejoski.

Million Dollar dress - I NEED this in my life - Ground Zero money printed knot dress:

You can buy online at www.doshaburi.com

Whilst ambling along I also stumbled upon Base Elements - urban art gallery

Mixed-media painter Juan Manuel Pajares's compositions of iconography within space really stood out:

His work is provoking and challenges the viewer to question how every element within the painting fits together and asks us to interpret Pajares's own secret language deconstructing well-known elements of popular culture in the 20th century.

I've decided I will be buying many of his pieces when I am rich and famous. The end.

The Ring.

YSL.

has.

done.

it.

again.

I said it with the Arty and I'm now going to say it again. NEED.THIS.IN.MY.LIFE.RIGHT.NOW.

THANKS.BYE.

Clogsession!

Clogs are fast becoming everyone's new fave obsession - all it takes is for fashion's current darling, The Chungmeister to sport a pair of Chanel lovelies and the whole world goes stark raving mad for them! Now I recall a time, at the age of 12 when I really wanted some - patent orange one's to be precise... This of course passed after a month or two and then I looked at this genre of footwear as something that only dentists and nurses would wear - not to mention, with the advent of CROCS (ewwww) - unfashionable obese mothers who insist on wearing bright pink ones to match their 4 year old daughters whilst holidaying in the south of Spain - eeeek!

Having said that I now desperately want to get my feet into a pair for this summer. Here are a selection of my absolute favourites:

Fringed leather - Zara:

White buckle - Carvela:

Peep-toe buckle clog boot - ASOS:

This one's my firm favourite - a directional look which will take you straight into AW10 paired with chunky grey socks.

Cute as a Clog!

Scholl for Fashionistas is a cool and quirky collaboration showcasing a most fabulicious range of clogs:

Hot foot it down to your nearest Kurt Geiger store to pick up a pair and be sure to check out their gorgeous windows...

How very summer of love and kitsch. Reminds me of my fave LA one-stop-shop Kitson! Peace and love man.

Hello Jell-O!

The sun has been shining all week long and I am in the mood for a HOLIDAY!!!!

As everyone in England knows the second the sun pokes it's little head out from behind the clouds we all go BBQ crazy, start living in flip-flops and hit the parks for the hope of catching a little bit of colour! As previously mentioned flip-flops are a true summer staple so here's my pick of the Top 3 Jellies:

Office - £10

French Connection - £18

Nine West - £45