Tuesday 4 June 2013

WEARING: Her Curious Nature

After being invited to the Birdcage Racing Club at Ascot this Spring I faced a bit of a dilemma, what to wear on my head? I'm all for getting dressed up, but finding headgear for the races that is neither naff nor OTT can turn out to be quite some chore. 

Luckily whilst pottering around Portobello last year ago, I came across Her Curious Nature, designed by the gorgeous Sabrina. After putting in a desperate phone call, Sabrina invited me to come to her London studio, where all her pieces are handmade to pick a piece to compliment my dress. After immersing myself in velvet, flowers, crystals and feathers, I emerged with a couple of options to sport at Ascot. 



And so to the races...


Wearing the Rosa Headband and the gorgeous Eloise Flower 






You can now find HCN pieces stocked in Topshop Oxford Circus, and the range is getting bigger and bigger - now incorporating studded street-wear style snap backs. Apparently the range will soon include embellished leathers - so one to watch.

Thank you Sabrina!

xx O xx

Monday 8 April 2013

LISTENING: THE NATIONAL - DEMONS


THE NATIONAL : DEMONS

You can share these demons with me all day long guys, the National are back and have JUST put this on-line - DEMONS. This is their new single from their Forthcoming album 'Trouble Will Find Me' and they have European tour dates up too!(although the earliest date I spotted is Ally Pally in November, lets hope they do some festivals here in the UK)



Check out the video for Demons below - Its also, very good.



Did I Mention this band are ACE?
Welcome back guys!

xx   O   xx




Friday 15 March 2013

GOING: MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG


Merrily We Rolled to the Theatre...


Last week, completely by fluke, I got a last minute invite to catch Merrily We Roll Along at the Menier Chocolate Factory before the hugely successful production transfers to the West End (congratulations to all involved in the production!)

I must admit this was a new experience for me - the theatre being positioned in an old Chocolate factory in Southwark. An intimate space, what the theatre lacks in West End grandeur it more than make up in atmosphere.

It was a great pleasure to catch one of the last performances of this all singing all dancing tale of broken friendships and regret. The production has plenty of pathos but this emotional content is played out against a raft of brilliantly executed song and dance numbers written by the king of musical theatre, Stephen Sondheim. (Winner of 1 Oscar, 8 Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement,8 Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award). The story goes back in time tracing the friendships and careers of the 3 main characters, brilliantly acted and containing some of the best costumes I've seen in quite some time, the whole production was a delight to watch from beginning to end.




The opening of the second half.
The cast taking a well deserved bow.
   
Not just a theatre - The Menier also contains a restaurant and bar, and we popped into the restaurant pre-performance for a quick bite to eat, where we ate a number of delicious snacks. I would recommend doing this if you are visiting the theatre as the food really was delicious, in fact if you are in the area I would recommend going here anyway, the atmosphere and people watching here takes some beating... 


The meat platter...

The vegetarian platter...


All in all a brilliant evening and I plan on heading back to the Menier as soon as I have a chance. If you would like to book tickets to the West end Production you can do so here.


Friday 8 March 2013

LISTENING: Laura Marling - Where Can I go


Always make time to listen to this woman...


Ahhhh! So excited, this is the first single from Laura's new album, as I'm sure you are already aware - she is brilliant, her smoky voice, gift with lyrics and general greatness are all here... Can't wait for the tour(dates Yet to be announced)but you can pre-order the album here - and then wait wait wait until 27th of May when it is released. 


xx O xx

Monday 25 February 2013

GOING : Ossie Clarke - Proud Galleries Chelsea


He's in fashion... Ossie Clark at Proud Galleries


Affectionately known as 'The King of the Kings Road', Ossie Clarke made a welcome return (of sorts) when Proud Galleries Chelsea opened their door to the latest exciting exhibition - Ossie Clark: The King of the King’s Road Reigns Again.

This retrospective on Ossie's life and style, with all its prints and poet-sleeved fabulousness was just perfect for a freezing February evening. Seeing the prints and the dresses, some vintage, some new - back on the kings road, and next door from where Clark presented his first show at Chelsea Town Hall back in in 1967, was quite a wonderful thing.

Model wearing Ossie Clark, Robert Whitaker. Print available from Proud Galleries here

Model wearing Ossie Clark, Jim Lee. 
Print available here

I adore this shot: Model wearing Ossie Clark, Norman Parkinson. Print available from Proud Galleries here



Champagne was drunk, absinthe cocktails were mixed and the new range of Ossie Clarke dresses were modelled by the gorgeous Proud galleries staff. Of course the main attraction here was the photography and as per usual with Proud, their selection of prints from the best photographers of their day did not disappoint.

Our geek sandwich

The exhibition runs until the 10th of March and if you can't make it down head to the Proud web site to check out the prints and find out more about the show (I have my eye on the Norman Parkinson).

xx O xx

Friday 22 February 2013

LISTENING: Young Galaxy - Pretty Boy (Peaking Lights Remix)





Ahhhh I cant get enough of this, not a new band - but new to me I'm just discovering Young Galaxy and its all down to Pitchfork recommending this remix of their single - Pretty Boy. If you need mental respite from the commute into work on a bleak February morning - get some good headphones, get sucked into this and you wont feel nearly as 'isolated'...




xx O xx



Monday 28 January 2013

EATING: Shui Hu Ju, Hong Kong


Part 2/3 of my restaurant review from the foodie heaven of Hong Kong... Shui Hu Ju

Yes - I did play with my food

After Zuma came a quick hop to Thailand. On my return to Hong Kong from my mini beach break (much needed) - and following my insistent nagging to my hostess that we were going to eat some CHINESE food while in China - Belinda picked me up from central station post flight and we headed to Shui Hu Ju on Peel Street, Central HK. 



The Shui hu Ju exterior


I have to say I had my work cut out getting Bee to agree to taking me to a Chinese restaurant, and much as I banged on about Anthony Bourdain hopping from one street food venue to the next, Bee was having none of it. The strange thing is westerners living in HK tend to stick to the western food (We had steak Tartare and Moules-frites on our fist restaurant visit) Still who am I to judge, I live here and they live there. After much pushing for this Chinese feast and after a little research from bee, we learned that if you must eat Chinese food, that this was a restaurant that was worth seeking out.

Serving mostly northern Chinese fare, specifically from the Sichuan region, Shui Hu Ju was named after a mystical mountain in a Chinese fable.

If the name carried a sense of China's past, so to does the decor.  and stays true to its namesake with Once entering you are in a homely style restaurant, with dim lighting and plenty of charm. the food was delicious and portions generous, we ordered a cold noodle salad and then for mains the MOST delicious Duck and a very garlicky squid dish. We drank rice wine and I am blaming this for all of the pictures of me playing with the food! 


Belinda tucking into the beef and coriander noodle salad

 The Main courses - crispy fried Duck and squid in roasted spicy garlic



We decided we had NEVER eaten duck this good.


Digging in the Garlic 'sand' for the squid



Street food this is not, but a delicious exciting Chinese gem it was, thoroughly recommended.



xx O xx

Tuesday 22 January 2013

EATING: Zuma Brunch at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental


So... Whilst on my Trip to Hong Kong I ate at a good many restaurants, over the next 2 posts I will cover my top 3 Asian meals eaten up and enjoyed whilst in the mega foodie haven that is Hong Kong.


First Post - the biggie, ZUMA 

The first place of note in Honkers was actually an outlet of a London institution - Zuma (quite appropriate as most of the people in the room were expats and most of those from good old London town) so the food... in a word - WOW, or Nom Nom NOM.




At a set price of around $700HK (£65) the Zuma's Baikingu brunch brunch is a brilliant option for a long drawn out and rather boozy saturday brunch. Perfect to cure a hangover, or indeed in this case, for some of the guests - perfect to keep the party going for those who had forgone sleep altogether (not - I hasten to add myself!)

The location cannot be surpassed as Zuma HK is housed at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental hotel, in the heart of Central Hong Kong, and the interior and atmosphere matches the glamour of the location. Booking is essential and you see why as you enter down a wide and winding staircase and walk into a clinky busy bustly room crammed to the rafters with a laid back yet super chic crowd.

The Restaurant

Bellinis or Champagne are on tap and glasses are topped up almost as soon as you put them down on the table (so, pretty dangerous but lots of fun!)

I was sat at a table of 12 friends and, following a Bellini or two we made our way up to the 'Robata counter' that runs down almost the entire right hand site of the restaurant. Here we found the freshest sashimi and both nigri and maki sushi - presented on little baskets resting on mountains of ice. There were also little pots of steaming clams in scrummy juice, noodles and fresh vegetables in gorgeous clay dishes, as well as mixed tempura and chicken pieces cooked in the MOST delicious signature Zuma sauce - basically it was a buffet to end all buffets...


After about an hour and a half of visiting and then revisiting my new friend 'Robata', our main course arrived. I had chosen Gyuniku no sumibi yaki to kinoko with wafu sauce Which translates to... Frickin delicious steak OR...




Sirloin steak and sauteed mushrooms with wafu sauce. Needless to say, it was GOOD. 

It was halfway through the steak that I realised my rookie error in tucking in with quite so much enthusiasm to the scrumptious first course, and - as the mains were cleared to make way for 3 large mountain's of exotic fruits, Ice creams and some frankly quite questionable looking cakes I believe I was done!




(apologies for not so brilliant pics!)

Thank You Zuma

TBC...

xx O xx

Friday 4 January 2013

GOING: Serge De Nimes Pop Up, Dover Street






In the middle of a hectic December wrapping up work for the holidays (and sorting out my handover!) I went along to see and congratulate Ollie Proudlock on his Pop Up Shop for Serge De Nimes, housed at the newest site of the ever edgy concept store Wolf and Badger.


Wolf and Badger is great as they support new talent such as Ollie. The designers they showcase, weather they be clothing, jewellery or even home accessories - are always treading the line between luxury living and quirky style. I'd wager you'd find it hard not to fall in love with at least one beautiful piece of stock if passing through.

(Personally I also fell for these tongue in cheek plates by illustrator James Ward...if only I had cause to buy them)



available here

On arrival Caroline and I squeezed past a plethora of party people, including a number of Ollies Made In Chelsea co-stars. After saying our hellos to Ollie we headed downstairs to check out the new tees and to enjoy the transformation of the store into a nightclub like environment, complete with DJ and lots of gorgeous faces having a dance. 





Check out the video from the night here (inc a little cameo from Caroline, Bonnie and I about a min in)
The designer has produced a range of limited edition tees for the store, as well as some cool caps and beanies that - as a beanie obsessive I loved. The pop up ran from the 13th-23rd of December, but Serge De Nimes is available on the wolf and badger site as well as directly from sergedenimes.com.

If you like Ollies style, check out his other blog ProudlockStyle.