Help Beyond Skin's Kickstarter Project

For those of you who've never heard of Beyond Skin they are a 10 year old, UK based independent footwear label who not only create shoes which are rather beautiful, but are also vegan and cruelty-free.

I've been in contact with the lovely team at Beyond Skin for awhile now so this week I was sad to hear of a recent misfortune whereby their main factory closed down taking with it the vast majority of their Spring ’13 collection. This has annoyingly left them short of the funding needed to implement a new diffusion line of comfy, wearable yet stylish shoes to sit alongside their current luxury 'boutique' line.

The lovely team at the brand have therefore created a Kickstarter (crowdfunding) project to raise the money for the new line to be put into production. The new collection is set to launch with 10 styles for everyday wear at a slightly lower price point and has already been fully designed.

If you'd like to learn more about the brand and its Kickstarter project check out the link here and the video below. Every person who pledges over £10 to the cause will receive a reward - many of which come from the brands Autumn Winter ’13 ‘boutique’ line including on-trend slipper designs, cute court shoes and vintage inspired heels a selection of which can be seen above. 

 

The MiH Jeans Autumn Winter Collection

Last month I introduced the Pre Autumn / Winter Collection from MiH Jeans with a big thumbs up. As a huge fan of the brand already (see my Instagram for further proof) I was expecting great things this season and I'm here to tell you the mainline AW 13 collection is just as impressive.

Elegant simplicity and chic, casual classics are the buzzwords to watch out for as MiH are again inspired by the contrasts inherent in denim, fusing high fashion with an everyday basic. Understated ‘bluejean’ washes sit alongside faded blues and blacks, with denim coatings, particularly in metallic, becoming darker and more aged this season.

Stand out pieces include the shearling-lined Parka, a thick navy wool pea-coat that had me drooling on the press day and chunky, oversized knits hand knitted in North East England (I had to get that in as a Northerner sorry). Dot and stripe prints can be found on silk shirts and as stripes on jeans for AW 13, replacing the bandanna print that was so key for summer. Watch out for the intense colours this season too - there are some rust and green tones that make me instantly wish for Autumn and think of crunching leaves underfoot.

Likewise, the popular Boiler Suit of SS 13 is updated and refined with military detailing and metal hardware to become more evening attire, detailing which is carried through to the Boiler Pant, Jump Top and Jump dress. 

As a final flourish the MiH team are proudly unveiling their British Icon Shirts collection - a new launch for A/W 13. The capsule line of five shirts is inspired by traditional men’s styles, and includes the Army Shirt, Studio Shirt, Nightcap Shirt, Dinner Shirt and Oversize Shirt. They all look deceptively simple and pretty effortless as we've come to expect from MiH and if you invest in a new shirt this season I'd make it one of these. 

Here's just a taster of the full collection. To see more visit www.mih-jeans.com.

See more after the jump

La Redoute Autumn / Winter 2013 Press Day

Last week I was invited along to the Autumn / Winter 2013 press day for La Redoute at the Ice Tank Studios in Covent Garden. The event was doubly special as the iconic French brand was celebrating its 18th year in the UK with cupcakes, cocktails, Prosecco and mini manicures. 

Alongside viewing the La Redoute A/W 13 own label collections - Soft Grey, Mademoiselle R and Season Trends - the day also presented us with the opportunity to view the designer collections this season from Courreges, ba&sh and Le Mont St Michel. Myself and Sophie from La fashion Folie found some great hidden gems in each range but my favourite piece has to be the biker style jacket with detachable fur collar that I'm clinging on to below. If that doesn't float your boat there are plenty of other on trend looks including an oriental bomber jacket, an asymmetric quilted skirt, two pink coats, a cool boyfriend coat and plenty of a leopard print. 

French fashion house Courreges, considered 'futuristic' in the 60's, showed a capsule collection of clean, structured lines and a minimalist colour palette of bright white and hot pink. The 3/4 length sleeve 'Trapeze' dress below is a key look for the season - and looks far more expensive than its £119 price tag. 

Faux leather was another important aspect of the La Redoute for the season, featured on leggings, trousers and a dress studded with metal eyelets. Meanwhile, accessories and footwear options were simple yet classic. The thin gold bee belt caught my eye, as did a faux snakeskin chain strap bag. 

See more after the jump

One To Watch: Nicola Crawford

The first collection, ‘Lost Words’ established from her graduate collection was inspired by the lost art of letter writing, after discovering a letter, written during the war, in an antiques shop. 

Nicola Crawford followed this up with ‘With Love’ - also influenced by vintage correspondence, using a postcard written in 1908. The illegible hand writing on the postcard is represented in the jumbled lettering in unique pendants, whilst the signed off x's feature on intricate rings and stud earrings.  

Nicola’s latest collection ‘The Secret Garden’ is inspired by the classic children's tale by Frances Hodgson Burnett and uses motifs such as twisted ivy leaves, locks and keys and rose buds in silver and gold vermeil and bronze. I'm especially in love with the lock and key rings. I'm having a bit of a ring obsession at the moment and I thinking this will look great stacked up alongside my midi rings and vintage finds

Bio: Nicola graduated with a first class BA (hons) in Silversmithing, Goldsmithing and Jewellery from the University for the Creative Arts.  Each collection is designed and made by Nicola in her Kent based studio, where she began the brand in 2011. Prices start from £44 and you can shop the collection online here.

Top Limited Edition Beauty Buys

Limited Edition pieces used to be the preserve of luxury fashion brands before trickling down to the high-street and now words like 'online exclusive', 'capsule collection' and 'collectors edition' are becoming common place. We knew it wouldn't be long before the beauty industry jumped on board this trend, with everything from mascaras to candles being given the treatment so far. The Rhianna red lipstick for MAC sold out in just THREE HOURS the first time it went online for example. 

The whole thing does seem a bit cruel however - getting hooked on a the perfect lipstick shade or nail polish is so easy - but for beauty bees like me (flitting from one brand to another at the promise of perfect skin) limited edition pieces are a fun way to experiment with my look. Here's the top pieces I've got my eye on right now. Happy Shopping! X

1. To celebrate a new Royal baby the Royal Candle is available in blue or pink and comes boxed, £41.95, Available at www.bahoma.com 
2. The lip scrub: Lemonade limited edition, £20, Sara Happ at Selfridges. 
3. Limited edition Pure Chromatics eye palette - Downtown, will work now and through to winter, £42, Yves Saint Laurent 
4. Summer Splash palette in Midday Sun, £32, Burberry. I love the sophisticated mix of blue and brown. 
5. Great shades and cute packaging Mini pack runway Minnies inspired by the style of Minnie Mouse, £12.95, OPI
6. The most stylish candle ever? Mary Katrantzou x Rodial Skincare candle, £35, available in September from Space NK, Harrods, Harvey Nichols & Selfridges. 
7. Matthew Williamson 'the rich is back' for Benefit is coming on holiday to Marrakech with me, £26.50, online exclusive at Benefit.
8. Love the hand-drawn prints! Hypnose Drama mascara by Alber Elbaz, £23, Lancome at Harvey Nichols.

The Lust-worthy M&S Autumn / Winter Collection

I know that in this crazy hot weather the last thing you want to be thinking about is your winter wardrobe (even the word layers is giving me another hot flash) however this you really need to see. Just like the autumn / winter 2013 collection from Primark I blogged about the other day, Marks & Spencer's forthcoming range is looking exceptional.

After a recent glimpse of the look book styling on none other than the Daily Mail website, I was hooked. Having never been a M&S shopper before I may have to change my ways. Top of my shopping list is the check and leather mix pieces - especially the jacket below left - and the red leopard print jumper pictured below at £35. I'm also saving room in my closet for the pink coat. Despite swearing the Primark version was the one for me the version below at £95 is calling to me in all its over-sized glory! Are two pink coats two much for one girl?

"Autumn/winter 13 marks the beginning of a new era for Marks & Spencer womenswear with a renewed focus on exceptional quality and confident style," so says the new style director Belinda Earl, who previously cut her teeth in executive roles at all British brands Jaeger & Aquascutum.

I'm in love with the two looks above - seriously whoever styled this shoot deserves a raise - the combination of the pink, leopard and red envelope clutch (also on my wish list) is so unexpected but somehow works. Kudos to M&S as well for including a heart print - its a nice nod to the key Burberry print of the season for those of us without bottomless pockets.

Other looks from M&S include lots of substantial looking outerwear with fur detailing (this is going to be stylish and practical) plenty of country-inspired checks teamed with leather leggings, and skirts, skirts everywhere skirts - all falling to a respectable mid thigh or knee length of course whether pleated kilts or sharply tailored.

What do you think of the M&S collection this season? Is it tapping into your wardrobe needs for once or distancing itself too much from the core customer?