Update: Kate Moss for Topshop

Is it possible to publish a retraction on your own blog?

So ... I just stopped by Topshop at Oxford Circus today for a quick look around, and (surprise, surprise) the latest Kate Moss stuff wasn't exactly impressive. In fact, it was kinda shockingly bad. And uh, really overpriced. Why was I so optimistic, considering all the cold, hard facts?

It just took a 10 second dash around the racks to confirm the worst. (I still quite like the idea of the little tunic, but not at £60. It looked like something you wouldn't mind paying five quid for at Primark. Maybe.) 'Nuff said.

Meanwhile, I headed downstairs to the indie designer section in the basement and spied some rather lovely summer frocks (at reasonable prices, too). Only problem is, a lot of the cuts were a bit on the wee side. One of my more petite friends picked up an incredibly sweet striped red shirt with puffy sleeves by Sahrei Lamar London.

She also scored a rather Marni-esque frock across the road at Gap. With a heavy, almost utilitarian cotton drill fabric combined with fitted shoulders and an exposed zip at the back, it was a total steal at £39. Quite beautiful in its simplicity, and it totally kicked Kate's arse.

Online shopping: Kate Moss for Topshop

Clockwise from top left:
Broderie Anglaise dress, £60.
Embroidered Tunic Dress, £60.
Daisy print tea dress, £60.
Kate’s 50s-style dress, £45.

Wait. What? Kate Moss for Topshop garments that I’d actually consider wearing?

I’m quite mad for a good summer frock, and these little lovelies are perfectly wearable. Not sure that I’ll actually follow through to the check-out, though (but I do quite like the white tunic dress).

The first (and last) time I considered La Moss involved some rather hot, sweaty and downright undignifying moments in the dressing room. (Hey! Not as dirty as it sounds! You know that manic hopping-on-the-spot-fight-dance you do when you’re stuck in a top that was clearly designed for a child, not a grown woman? That was me. I choreographed a new version. I like to think of it as a breakaway-pop pastiche.) Sigh.

Of course, there's also the problem of it being so bleeding obvious.

So, what say you? Can you be bothered?

Top Bird loves: H&M's tribute to Marimekko

Oh joy! H&M has just revealed its killer 70-piece tribute collection to Marimekko, due to arrive in stores on April 10. Initial verdict? Marimekko fans will be deliriously happy with the signature big, bold splashes of colour and wild prints, not to mention the extremely affordable prices (e.g. 3-button apron dress £30.65; tunic top £11.45; sun hat £11.45; scarf £15.30; and one-piece swimsuit £23).


At the same time, it's an ultra-wearable collection in mostly cottons and jerseys with an appealing throw-on-and-go element. (I love that part about summer fashion.) The punchy palette features dynamic combinations like red and pink; olive and orange; red and turquoise; and red, white and black.

Here's what I may consider doing something dire for on April 10:







Take a look at the tees from the men's collection:




And the super-cute kids' line-up comes with a co-ordinating teddy:





So, what do you think?

Top Bird loves: Spring Topshop stuff

I haven't bought anything from Topshop for ages. Lots of looking, not much buying. But that's all changed with the new designer ranges by the likes of Marios Schwab, Christopher Kane and Jonathan Sauders. Sadly, my favourite Marios Schwab dress has sold out (no surprises there), but you can see the very fabulous Susie Bubble wearing it here. However, I quite like this ultra-sweet Richard Nicholls striped cotton dress with a summery ruffled bib:

Richard Nicholls dress, £70, from Topshop.

Finsk's covetable collection of shoes for Topshop are also on my wishlist. Not exactly bargainous, though:

I'm particularly excited by the kitten heels and sandals which wouldn't pose too much of a threat to my poor old arthritic toe. I can remember a time when I would have run ten miles from anything kitten-heel-esque. God forbid the chunky ankle (chunkle) effect. It's amazing how chronic pain has made kitten heels my friend, and chunkle the least of my problems.

Elsewhere on Topshop online, I quite like this pretty suede clutch with an oversized bow:

Large zip-top bow clutch, £30, from Topshop.

And check out this super-lovely brooch I found:

Lady Walker brooch, £7, from Topshop.

Cute, huh? Nice price, too, and it's just the thing to perk up my totally-over-it winter coats. Hmmm, I just might have to pay Topshop a visit tomorrow ...

Totally hoot now

I know. It’s another tote. But seriously, how could I possibly not post about this little beauty?
It’s designed by Eley Kishimoto (and that’s the sound of me dropping everything and jumping to attention).
It has a damn fine-looking owl on it.
It replaces plastic bags and gets a big green tick of approval.
It’s made from organic cotton.
It’s for a charitable cause, Cancer Research UK.
It’s freakin’ £2.99.
And why look, it doesn’t have “I'm not a plastic bag” scrawled across it.

The Fukuro bag is available to buy at your nearest Cancer Research UK or Wishes shop from 7 March 2008.

Top bird loves: ballet prints

I’ve always been a ballet girl so the flurry of pirouettes, pliés and pointe shoes on the catwalks recently piqued my interest.

Whilst ballerina-style isn’t anything new on the runway, ballet graphics took centre stage this season.

Take Matthew Williamson, for instance, and the graphic ballerina print at his pre-Fall 2008 show in New York. His inspiration? Diaghilev’s revolutionary Ballet Russes and La Bayadère (The Temple Dancer).


Then came Australian designer Marnie Skillings, and the dreamy painterly ballerinas leaping across her aw2008 dresses.


Meanwhile on the high street, Britain’s Queen of Prints Cath Kidston released her Spring 2008 line-up, showcasing a delightful ‘50s-style ballerina print for children.



Ballerina pencil case, £8.00; Ballerina mini bag, £6.00; Ballerina mini cushion, £6.00, all from Cath Kidston.

All these nostaglic ballet references sent me hunting on Etsy for those awesome kitsch plastic ballerina decorations that were the stuff of eight-year-old's birthday cake dreams.


Giant ballerina cake toppers, US$6.75 for a set of three, from A. Bel. Emporium’s Etsy shop and Pink ballerina cupcake toppers, US$4 for a set of six, from Sweet Poppy’s Etsy shop.

Images courtesy of Style.com, Marnie Skillings, and Cath Kidston.

Why I can't wait for Spring: Marimekko

When the Swedes meet the Finns, I'm a very, very happy birdy.
As regular readers may already have guessed, I really love my prints. So I'm just about beside myself with anticipation for H&M's Marimekko collection for Spring 2008. If you haven’t already heard, Swedish company H&M have created a 50-piece collection using Marimekko’s patterns from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s.

Apparently we can look forward to the Finnish brand’s distinctive graphic prints in “summer favourites” such as wide ‘70s dresses, tunics, skirts and shorts for women. And there will also be a few pieces for men and kids, all at ultra-affordable price points. The collection will be hitting H&M stores worldwide in April. Roll around Spring, printy please.

Marimekko prints for H&M, illustration by Moa Lindqvist Bartling.

But to satiate my immediate fix for Finnish graphic prints, I’ve been dreaming about Marimekko’s Spring 2008 womenswear line-up. Some really gorgeous pieces here, birdies.

And this season’s Marimekko kids’ range couldn’t be sweeter. Red apple and giraffe prints = too, too cute little girls' frocks.



Marimekko
www.marimekko.com
16-17 St Christopher's Place
London W1U 1NZ
Tel: 020 7486 6454

Nearest tube: Bond Street
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

London sales scoops

Holy marked-down Miu Miu, Batman.
Red bag, was £525, now £287, by Miu Miu.
For more excellent London sales coverage, check out this page at the Times Online.

Best of London's sales

Want the ultimate guide to London's best post-Christmas sales? Check out Time Out London's comprehensive coverage here. Happy bargain-hunting, birdies.

The best crackers in London

OK, so I could start this post with a dodgy pun on crackers, but I'll try to restrain myself. Instead, just check out the best crackers for 2007.

Holly/Ric Rac Christmas Crackers, £10 for a set of six, from Cath Kidston.

Christmas Tree Crackers, Blue and White, reduced to £10 for a set of 12, from John Lewis. Each cracker contains a gift, motto and hat. The gifts include a shoe horn, compact mirror, playing cards, screwdrivers, address book, tape measure, pad lock, bottle opener, tweezers, travel chess, photo frame and pen.

Fiesta Christmas crackers, £45 for a box of six, from The Conran Shop. Each cracker contains a hat, joke and a gift.

Nine mini crackers, £5, from Paperchase.

Eight premium crackers, £13, from Woolworths.

Sergeant Major and Sugar Plum Fairy Crackers, £40 for a box of six, from Fortnum & Mason. Each cracker contains a wooden toy or instrument.

For an eco-friendly bang...

Ethical Christmas crackers, £25, from Made. Crackers are handmade in Africa using back issues of Grazia and other recycled materials. Each cracker contains a gift made from recycled items, as well as a Grazia party hat and teaser.

Berry Eco Christmas Cracker, £4.50 each or six for £25, from Biome Lifestyle. The wrapping around the cracker is handmade from seed paper, so you can plant the paper after Christmas and grow some pretty wild flowers. Each cracker is filled with an eco-tip and a small gift like a charitable donation or a fair trade keyring.

And don't forget your dog...

Polka Pet Crackers, £15 for one, from Fortnum & Mason. Contains a diamante pet collar charm.

If money is no issue ...

Traditional Christmas crackers, £499 for six, from Harrods, 2nd floor Christmas World. The crackers are hand-crafted and contain silver gifts.

Ballroom flock Christmas crackers, £299 for six, from Harrods, 2nd floor Christmas World. Each cracker is hand-crafted and contains a silver gift.

Or, have a go at making your own...

Check out this post at Meet Me at Mikes, which includes some links to some fab online tutorials. Also, check out Paperchase for their nifty DIY cracker kits, complete with snaps and paper.

And go out with the biggest bang of all...

Exploding chocolate bomb £85, from The Conran Shop. The bomb is filled with enough chocolates and gadgets for 15 people.

Stockists:

The Conran Shop
www.conranshop.co.uk
The Conran Shop Chelsea
Michelin House
81 Fulham road
London SW3 6RD
Tel 020 7589 7401

The Conran Shop Marylebone
55 Marylebone High Street
London W1U 5HS
Tel 020 7723 2223

Paperchase
www.paperchase.co.uk
Click here for store locations.

Harrods
www.harrods.com
87-135 Brompton Road
Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL

Fortnum & Mason
www.fortnumandmason.com
181 Piccadilly
London W1

Biome Lifestyle (online only)
www.biomelifestyle.com

Woolworths
www.woolworths.co.uk
Click here for store locations.

John Lewis
www.johnlewis.com
Click here for store locations.

Cath Kidston
www.cathkidston.co.uk
Click here for store locations.

Made (online only)
www.made.uk.com