I'm still buzzing after my visit to Queen Charlotte's hospital last night to see my dear friend and her gorgeous brand-new baby daughter. Since I've been immersed in the world of babies over the past nine months, I've become acquainted with some ace baby boutiques - both in London and online.
So I'd thought I'd post a few of my favourites. And if babies aren't your thing right now, just admire the fabulous vintage-style Liberty prints - which as UK womens' mags would say are 'bang on trend' right now...
Couldn't resist buying this ultra-sweet smock and bloomer set for my friend's baby girl. It's from Marie Chantal in Notting Hill.
Marie Chantal
61A Ledbury Road
London W11 2AA
Tel. 020 7243 0220
and
148 Walton Street
London SW3 2JJ
United Kingdom
Tel o20 7838 1111
Saturday, 9 August 2008
New hatchlings
Saturday, 26 January 2008
Where to buy Australian in London
Happy Australia Day, birdies. Just before I head off to inhale a pile of lamingtons, here's where to buy the best of Australian in London.
Check out Australian designers at:
Austique
330 Kings Road
Chelsea
London SW3 5UR
• Rachel Gilbert
• Cohen et Sabine
• Alannah Hill
• Alice McCall
• Anna & Boy swimwear
• Camilla & Marc
• Zimmermann
• Fleur Wood
• Leona Edmiston
• MOR cosmetics
• Vani-T tanning and body products
MOR beauty products
Fleur Wood
Regent Street
London W1B 5AH
Tel: 020 7734 1234
• Mozi homewares (Australia’s answer to Cath Kidston)
• Ghost & Lola jewellery
• Yeojin Bae womenswear
Harvey Nichols
109-125 Knightsbridge
London SW1X 7RJ
Tel: 020 7235 5000
• Wheels & Doll Baby
• 18th Amendment jeans
• Metalicus (essentials for layering)
• Juliann lingerie and slips
• Camilla
• Flamingo Sands swimwear
• Jets swimwear
• Becca cosmetics (My make-up bag staples are Luminous Skin Colour foundation and Crème Blush in Wild Orchid)
Becca Luminous Skin Colour foundation (pssst apparently Kylie's a fan)
Mimi London
309 Kings Road
London SW3 5EP
Tel: 020 7349 9699
• Collette Dinnigan
• Willow
Collette Dinnigan
Collette Dinnigan
26 Cale Street
Chelsea Green
London SW3 3QU
Tel. 0207 589 8897
KJ’s Laundry
74 Marylebone Lane
London W1U 2PU
• Carl Kapp
• Ginger & Smart
Ginger & Smart
Browns
23-27 South Molton Street
London W1K 5RD
Tel: 020 7514 0063
• Josh Goot
• Lover
• Tina Kalivas
• Michelle Jank accessories
• Sass & Bide
• Anna & Boy swimwear
Josh Goot
Selfridges
400 Oxford Street
London W1A 1AB
• Jayson Brunsdon
• Nobody denim
• A’kin (gorgeous organic botanical beauty range) at Farmacia
Jayson Brunsdon
No-one
1 Kingsland Road
London E2 8AA
Tel: 207 613 5314
• Alice McCall
• Ksubi
• Elke Kramer jewellery
Alice McCall
Elke Kramer
Get your Aussie beauty fix at:
SpaceNK
• Jurlique (I love the Rosewater Balancing Mist)
• ModelCo (The Lash Wand Heated Eyelash Curler is one of their bestsellers)
Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist
And check out Innika, an excellent Australian mineral cosmetic brand which is 100 per cent vegan.
For essential Australian treats, like Iced Vo Vos, Violet Crumbles, Twisties, Minties, Vegemite and Tim Tams, head to:
The Australia Shop
27 Maiden Lane
Covent Garden
WC2E 7JS London
Tel: 020 7379 0723
Harvey Nichols also stocks a range of Australian gourmet food, including:
• Maggie Beer
• Bird in Hand olive oil
• Aunty Joan’s Gourmet Toffee
• Byron bay Cookie Company
Head to Waitrose for:
• Anzac biscuits
• Bundaberg Ginger Beer
• Dandaragan Olive Oil
Pick up a bottle of Aussie plonk from any Tesco or Marks & Spencer, or look for a boutique wine at:
• Aussie Wine Direct
• The Aussie Wine Company
• Australian Wines Online
And dine out with an Australian chef at:
Pied a Terre, tel 020 7636 1178 (Shane Osborne)
Smiths of Smithfield, tel. 0207 236 7666 (John Torode)
Nahm at the Halkin Hotel, tel. 020 7333 1234 (David Thompson)
The Ledbury, tel. 0207 792 9090 (Brett Graham)
Petersham Nurseries, tel. 020 8605 3627 (Skye Gyngell)
Phew. I can't believe I got through all that without a Walkabout pub, can of Fosters or a flamin' galah in sight.
p.s. try this lamington recipe from the Australian Women's Weekly (another Aussie icon).
Wednesday, 2 January 2008
Buying cashmere in London
As I mentioned in a previous post, the streets are awash with the soft, soft touch of cashmere.
If you’ve ever thought about investing in a quality cashmere piece, now is the time to make your move, with the winter sales currently in full swing.
And while all cashmere is luxurious, some cashmere is more luxurious than others (apologies to Orwell). Here’s my pick of the best places to buy the good stuff in London:
N.Peal
Founded in 1963, N.Peal is one of the luxury cashmere brands located in the historic Burlington Arcade, with separate men’s and women’s stores. The knitwear is made and designed in Scotland, using Mongolian and Chinese wool. Cashmere scarves are currently on sale for £79 (down from £99), with certain lines reduced by up to 50 per cent.
www.npeal.com
37 and 71 Burlington Arcade
Mayfair
London W1
Tel: 020 7499 6485
Berk Cashmere
One of London’s more traditional cashmere specialists located in the Burlington Arcade. Think classic cashmere twinsets, sweaters and cardigans. House-brand cashmere scarves start at £99.75.
46-49 Burlington Arcade
Mayfair
London W1
Tel: 020 7493 0028
Brora
This Scottish brand is renowned for its high quality cashmere and classic investment pieces. Cashmere scarves start at £45. If you’ve got your eye on a cashmere sweater or cardie, hold off ‘til 16 January, when the sale starts.
Loving the adorable cashmere baby range:
www.brora.co.uk
344 Kings Road
London
SW3 5UR
186 Upper Street
London
N1 1RQ
81 Marylebone High Street
London
W1U 4QJ
66/68 Ledbury Road
London
W11 2AJ
17 High Street Wimbledon
London
SW19 5DX
Pringle of Scotland
One of Britain’s leading luxury knitwear brands, Pringle started knitting cashmere in 1871. The argyle cashmere sweater is a Pringle classic staple.
Check out the cute kids Autumn/Winter capsule collection for argyle au go go:
(Cashmere aside, here a couple of my favourite looks from their younger and more directional 1815 collection for Spring/Summer 2008:)
Head to Pringle now for 50 per cent off selected items.
www.pringlescotland.com
London stores:
141 Sloane Street
London SW1
Tel: 020 7881 3060
112 New Bond Street
London W1
Tel: 020 7297 4580
High Street picks:
Marks & Spencer
Excellent range of everyday cashmere pieces at reasonable price points, starting at £20 for a cashmere scarf, and £39.50 for short-sleeved sweaters. Sale on now.
www.marksandspencer.com
Find stores here.
Uniqlo
The fun marketing campaign featuring cashmere-clad sock puppets has been hard to miss on London Tube escalators in December, and so is this Japanese brand’s ultra-affordable prices and huge range of fashion colours.
Prices start at £39.95 for cashmere tops. Sale on now.
www.uniqlo.co.uk
Flagship Store
311 Oxford Street,
London,
W1C 2HP
T: 020 7290 7701
170 Oxford Street,
London,
W1D 1NQ
T: 020 7307 9671
Cashmere Clinic
If your cashmere gets moth holes or needs to be repaired, send it to a cashmere specialist. This place is the best in London.
The Cashmere Clinic
www.cashmere-clinic.co.uk
Flat 5, 53 Redcliffe Gardens
London
SW10 9JJ
Tel: 0207 584 9806
Friday, 21 December 2007
Last minute Christmas treats
If you haven't started already, now is the time to start digging into all the seasonal goodies. There's nothing cosier than watching all those ultra-cheesey Christmas specials on TV by candlelight, whilst feasting on some warm Christmas pud. Here, my favourite sweet treats in London:
Ultimate Christmas pudding, £32.95, from Harrods. Packaged in a black ceramic basin and matured for six months.
Brandy butter, £3.95, from Harrods.
Meg Rivers Christmas Cake and tin, £38, from Cath Kidston. £5 of the proceeds from every sale of this award-winning cake goes to Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Hope and Greenwood suitcase, from £24.95, from The Conran Shop. Each suitcase is filled with a selection of nostalgic English sweets.
And I'll be heading to Konditor & Cook this weekend to pick up some of their infamous handmade mince pies. Apparently Nigella fancies them very muchly. Merry yum yum!
Stockists:
The Conran Shop
www.conranshop.co.uk
The Conran Shop Chelsea
Michelin House
81 Fulham road
London SW3
Tel 020 7589 7401
The Conran Shop Marylebone
55 Marylebone High Street
London W1
Tel 020 7723 2223
Harrods
www.harrods.com
87-135 Brompton Road
Knightsbridge, London SW1
Cath Kidston
www.cathkidston.co.uk
Click here for store locations.
Konditor & Cook
www.konditorandcook.com
Waterloo:
22 Cornwall Road
London SE1
London Bridge:
10 Stoney Street
London SE1
Chancery Lane:
46 Grays Inn Road
London WC1
Curzon Soho Cafe:
99 Shaftesbury Ave
London W1
The Gherkin
30 St Mary Axe
London EC3
Thursday, 20 December 2007
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
Monday, 3 December 2007
A wee birdy in a pear tree
Forgive me for indulging my passion for all things ornithological, but following a year where birds emerged as a major decorating trend, the interest hasn't let up for the festive season. So without further ado, here's a wee birdy or two for your tree. I've sourced these various feathered folk from London shops and my fave online stores. See the bottom of the post for stockist details.
Bird decorations, £29.95, for a set of eight, from Dotcomgiftshop.
Large tin bird, £13.58, from VVRouleaux.
Multi-coloured glass parrots hanging decorations, £8.95 for a set of three, from Dotcomgiftshop.
Swarovski owl decoration, £16.95, from The Conran Shop. Tel. 020 7589 7401
Robin Christmas tree decoration by Vivi, £7.75, from Not on the High Street.
Gold sequin bird, £3 for a set of three, from Woolworths.
Gold glitter wire bird, £2, from John Lewis.
Personalised handpainted fine china bauble in robin design, £9.95, from GettingPersonal.co.uk.
And I'll just sneak in a few fave birdy cards, as well:
Elle and the Snow Dove Postcards, US$16 for a set of 8, from BelleandBoo’s Etsy shop.
Pear Tree cards, US$10 for a set of four, from BlueSnailPaper’s Etsy shop.
Season’s Greetings cards, US$6 for a set of four, from EnfinLaVoila’s Etsy shop.
Top bird tip: if you click on the link to an Etsy product and it has sold out (they tend to do this quickly as they are one-offs), make sure you click on the link to the actual shop as they will often have the exact item listed again.
London stockists:
VVRouleaux
54 Sloane Square
Cliveden Place
London SW1W 8AX
Tel: 020 7730 3125
VVRouleaux
102 Marylebone Lane
London W1U 2QD
Tel: 020 7224 5179
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
John Lewis
Oxford Street
London W1A 1EX
John Lewis
Brent Cross Shopping Centre
London
NW4 3FL
