Coralie Grassin enjoys an alternative, exotic manicure at Soho’s stylish new fish spa…
I discovered Aqua Sheko at Selfridges last year – their therapy sessions hypnotised passers-by. You would put your feet in the tank and the tiny fish would come and eat the dead cells of the skin, leaving it as soft as you can dream.
Quite a different beauty concept, isn’t it? And of course, a multitude of questions spring to your mind. The main one being – will it pinch and tickle?
Aqua Sheko, the first fish spa to arrive in London, has opened a sister salon in Soho and is now offering the experience for hands as well. I just could not resist. I stepped in the elegant parlour and was guided to a counter, where there was a succession of tanks, each filled with exotic Garra Rufas. I chose a seat and, very intrigued, gently plunged my hands.
They are curious little creatures and come to you straight away, dancing around you very gently. You then feel what I can best describe as thousands of kisses. The ever so light pressures massage the skin at the same time, relaxing you instantly. You barely notice the soft music in the background, fascinated by the ballet in the water.
How does this all work? The fish use their suction-cup mouths to lift the dead cells away, revealing the more tender skin underneath. As they do so, an enzyme is released, facilitating skin renewal. They even clean the cuticles – no teeth involved, just pure bliss.
Results? An extraordinary suppleness. No amount of cream had ever left my hand so supple and even my five-year-old noticed the difference. I can see her eying our fish tank with interest now…
The treatment lasts 15 minutes and is an ideal treat during your lunch break! The treatment stations are set up like a bar, allowing you to have a chat with friends at the same time and you can even enjoy a cup of tea afterwards. The Soho location is awaiting their license and will soon be able to serve sake. I can’t think of a better idea for a Friday night treat!
Camden has always been the place in London to go to see bands, drink hard liquor and meet cool music folk, but rarely does food ever feature more highly than a quick carton of fried bits and pieces from the Chinese stalls in The Stables.
Imagine my delight to find a place on the High Street that has all of the Camden night out requirements nailed, with the addition of top notch food.
The Blues Kitchen is one of those great places that is somewhere between an informal restaurant and a music venue, meaning that you can listen to live music while tucking into some serious comfort food.
The staff are incredibly charming and welcoming and we were seated in a large, comfy booth with an excellent view of the stage.
We went on Wednesday for the weekly Stripped Back Soul night, which featured a fantastic band playing soul and funk classics. When we arrived at 8pm, the background soundtrack was mostly blues and rock, warming up for the band coming on at around 9.30pm.
The Blues Kitchen felt like the kind of place where whiskey and rum are the way to go, so we ordered a Whiskey Sour (£7) and a Mai Tai (£7.50). Both were deliciously sweet and sour, well-mixed and strong.
Spying the monstrously-sized burgers coming out of the kitchen, we decided to share a starter of Chicken Nachos (£6.50) – Goyoza skin nachos topped with BBQ chicken, sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo.
Goyoza skin nachos were a totally new experience and I can hardly describe how scrumptious they were! The BBQ chicken was so tasty that I almost changed my main dish order and the nachos were loaded with delicious melted cheese and toppings.
I could have easily polished off the whole plate and would definitely order one just for myself next time!
We couldn’t resist both ordering a Cheeseburger with Monterey Jack (£11), which came on a wooden slab with a pot full of fries and creamy coleslaw.
Our burgers were nicely charred to perfection, medium as requested, and were thick, juicy and high quality. They came garnished with lettuce, tomato and wafer-thin gherkin on a soft floury white bun. Fries were golden, crispy and soft and plentiful.
We also ordered a side of Onion Rings (£3) to go with the cheeseburgers. They were more like good old breadcrumb-coated onions rings than the posh beer batter ones, but they were tasty and in abundance.
If you’re after something a bit more spicy, try the Seafood Jambalaya, New Orleans Gumbo, Seared Jerk Tuna or Cajun Blackened Shrimp.
The cheeseburgers were unsurprisingly filling, however we found space, after a long rest, to split a Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream (£5.50).
The home-baked brownie was gooey, dense and slightly flaky on top with a good scattering of walnuts – just what a brownie should be! It came with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce and is well-worth leaving room for.
If you’re not a dessert fiend like me, there are some delicious looking milkshakes as a sweet alternative.
Blues Kitchen Camden is the ideal place to come for a fun night out with a big group of friends or just cosying up in a booth with great food and music.
Prices are reasonable, especially considering the quality, portion sizes and attentive service. So if friends suggest a night out in Camden, just lure them in to the Blues Kitchen with the promise of whiskey cocktails and grilled meat…who could possibly resist?
Over coffee and croissants (a staple of Clerkenwell Design Week), Lulu talked through her inspiration for her debut piece, Be A Pin Up, and gave us a sneak preview of the stunning Clerkenwell Lips Clutch – a limited edition tribute to more fleeting installation. Lulu’s Autumn/Winter 2011-12 collection continues the pinhead theme with a large studded leather bow handbag.
Be A Pin Up references the iconic office toy with a life-size pin art installation – an imposing pop up under the stunning arches at St John’s Gate. We had a lot of fun squishing ourselve up to the pins and visitors to CDW can get involved and make their own full body portraits.
The ever glamorous and charming Lulu also got stuck in and showed us how it was done…
Strike some serious poses if you manage to visit Lulu’s Be A Pin Up installation and your creativity will be rewarded! Lulu Guinness will be creating a gallery, of all the pin impressions sent in from visitors, on the Lulu Guinness Facebook page and the one with the most ‘likes’ will win The Clerkenwell Lips Clutch, worth £450!
To enter, send your best Be A Pin Up impressions to facebook@luluguinness.com.
Be A Pin Up will be at Clerkenwell Design Week until 26th May.
Growing up in Newcastle, I often wandered along the Quayside and looked up in awe at the gorgeous building housing the Malmaison. Newcastle didn’t have many stylish places to stay during my formative years and even though there are some great hotels now, like its nearby sister Hotel du Vin Newcastle, the Malmaison still feels inviting.
The Malmaison brand has weathered well, despite boutique design hotels becoming so ubiquitous. It has expanded over the years to 12 major UK cities and every hotel has been thoughtfully designed to compliment the building’s unique history.
Location
Housed in the former Co-op building with an attractive Art Nouveau canopy, Malmaison Newcastle holds court at an enviable location on the Quayside, with perfect views of the River Tyne, Millennium Bridge, BALTIC and the Sage.
The Room
I took my mum for a weekend treat and checked in to room 621 – a Superior Double room with a Millenium Bridge view and king-size bed, apparently the most requested room.
The colour palette of the room was a combination of monochrome, red and grey, making it a dark, seductive, Gotham-like abode.
The square shape of the room with huge panelled windows made me think of a New York loft apartment. The tasteful contemporary furnishings also had this feeling of chic American homeliness.
The room was very spacious and the bright daylight from the windows provided a nice contrast to the sumptuous heavy velvet texture and prevented the space from being claustrophobic.
The beds at Malmaison are typically quite firm but super-comfortable and there were plenty of cushions and pillows to plump up while relaxing.
The room had everything we could have wanted for a relaxing stay – a flat-screen TV in front of the bed, a kettle with tea and fresh cafetiere coffee, 24-hour room service, a stack of glossy magazines and wifi internet (although this was charged with 30 minutes free).
The minibar and tray snack at Malmaison Newcastle are devilishly tempting (giant slab of Dairy Milk with a Birra Moretti, anyone?) and are more reasonably priced than most hotels.
An interesting touch was a selection of full-size pampering products by Anatomicals for just £1.75 each. How often have you packed everything but your eye cream or cleanser? It’s a nice way to try out a new brand, or just treat yourself to an affordable spa evening.
Although, if you really want to treat yourself, book in to the Petit Mal spa for a relaxing facial, massage or manicure. It’s a city institution where all the glam Newcastle girls go for their beauty pit stops.
The Bathroom
The relaxing, well-appointed bathroom continued the cool New York vibe with black slate details and the biggest mirror I’ve ever seen in a hotel room! It featured a bath-shower, so you can unwind after a long day and of course, Malmaison’s much-loved full-size fig and cedarwood bath products, specially formulated by Arran Aromatics.
Malmaison Newcastle comes into its own during the twilight hours and our room was even more inviting with dimmed lights and the bright lights from the Quayside – perfect for evening lounging.
That evening, we went to the Malmaison Brasserie for a long, decadent dinner, but more about that wonderful experience later…
Breakfast
In the morning, we went down to The Brasserie for a fabulous breakfast. We were immediately served freshly-brewed coffee and made a quick beeline for the Continental breakfast buffet, which offered a selection of fresh fruit, juices, yogurt, granola, cereal, baked bread and full-size pastries.
We couldn’t resist starting the day with a cooked breakfast, so I ordered the Eggs Benedict while mum went for Fried Eggs on Muffins. Both were delicious and filling and come highly recommended!
I stayed for as long as I could and then walked off breakfast with a jaunt into the city centre (up that punishing Quayside bank that is ever so treacherous in heels).
Malmaison are now offering free wifi (from June 2011), so you can feel even more at home and relax without the stress of coming back to an overflowing inbox.
Malmaison Newcastle is perfect for weekend breaks to the North East or even a city bolthole staycation for Geordies (like me), who just want to treat themselves… and why not!
Framed in a whirlwind of silver leaf, a 34 cm diameter bevelled glass mirror, has been dubbed ‘Camilla’s Hat®’ due to its striking resemblance to the flatteringly feathered hat designed by Phillip Treacy and worn by Camilla Parker-Bowles on the day she married HRH The Prince of Wales.
Juliette’s Interiors specialises in design-led bespoke luxury furniture and chic accessories in traditional French, vintage or contemporary styles.
The winner will receive one ‘Camilla’s Hat®’ mirror (97cm in silver tone resin), postage and packaging included.
HOW TO ENTER:
Follow Chérie City on Google Friend Connect or Facebook and leave a comment in the box below adding a word to complete the sentence, ‘mirror mirror on the wall ……. is the fairest of them all.’
The winner will be selected at random and the competition will close at midnight on 23 May 2011.
Terms & Conditions: – Entrants must become (or already be) a follower of Chérie City on Google Friend Connect or Facebook, otherwise entry will be void.
– Prize consists of one ‘Camilla’s Hat®’ mirror (97cm diameter) by Juliette’s Interiors.
– prize is non-transferable and no cash alternative will be offered. – Closing date: 23 May 2011 at midnight.
– The winner must claim the prize within 48 hours of contact, or a new winner will be selected.
Natural skincare is quickly becoming more advanced and a real, viable alternative to high end spa products with the results to match.
One of the most luxurious natural body and skincare brands that I’ve been lucky enough to try is Sodashi – an Australian company using high quality chemical-free ingredients and ethically-sourced essential oils.
Founded by Megan Larsen in 1999, Sodashi adopts a holistic approach to well-being and means wholeness, purity and radiance in Sanskrit.
Products are formulated using a a unique combination of biochemistry, aromatherapy and Ayurvedic principles.
The Sodashi range is made for women and men and the sleek black packaging and aromatic scents will surely appeal to both. There is something very sensual and warming about Sodashi products, which is perhaps down to this sharing approach.
I tried the Vanilla Body Butter (€109/250ml) and was surprised to find that it doesn’t have a typical vanilla scent – in fact, it’s distinctly more herbal.
The Vanilla Body Butter comes in a generously-sized black glass pot with a white scoop and is very thick and creamy in texture.
As it is a high quality product, a little goes a long way and it feels rich, smooth and just the right side of oily on the skin.
I used the body butter at night and when I awoke in the morning, the results were impressive! My skin felt smoother, more toned and nourished. The cream absorbs well, so there was very little excess and it even brought relief to a mild patch of eczema.
Another favourite from the range is the Rejuvenating Face Mist (€100/100ml) and it has quickly become my travel beauty staple for rehydrating my face and indeed rebalancing my sanity after a sticky London tube journey.
It has a subtle, invigorating aromatic scent and simultaneously calms and refreshes the skin with natural ingredients such as damask rose, almond oil, atlas cedarwood, lime and grapefruit seed oil.
I also tried the Eye and Lip Smoother (€135/30ml), which has a light, oil-based texture and is a great everyday treatment. It’s more of a nourishing and relaxing cream than those zingy gel-cremes that tighten and pop your eyes in the morning.
It absorbs quickly and leaves the eyes feeling relaxed, hydrated and comfortable.
Sodashi really is at the top end of luxury natural skincare and the prices reflect this, but the superior quality of the ingredients mean that the products last a long time.
The four travel kits (€198) contain six travel size products, including the full-size Eye and Lip Smoother, so they are ‘good value’ and an introduction to the brand, to make sure they really work for you.
To see the full collection and to buy online, visit:www.sodashi.de Get regular beauty tips and spa advice from the Sodashi experts on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.
Coralie Aude Grassin hunts down Amsterdam’s top ‘must sees’, away from the museums and galleries:
Going to Amsterdam for a weekend? It is the most wonderful place to walk around – get lost in the cutest streets, walk around the canals, switch from buzzing atmospheres to oh-so-quiet neighbourhoods…
1- Classic advice but the best one to be part of the crowd: rent a bike for 10€ a day. You will find a wide variety of cycling accessories in the shops to personalise yours back home…get inspired by the thousands on your way.
2- Fall for Gouda. It may have sound like a boring cheese when you saw it last in a supermarket but you will be amazed at the flavours: pesto, cumin, fennel…even olive and rocket! Go for more mature ones if you love nutty tastes. Cheese shops always have samples ready for you to taste the whole range.
3- Wander through the flower market, the best place to buy bulbs from tulips to amaryllis. The airport will only offer a small choice. Such a nice memory when you will see the blooms in your garden too.
4- Look out for the gorgeous art deco gems like the Tuschinski cinema. It was meant to look as glorious as an opera would: you can ask for love seats or a private box, where you can even enjoy a small lunch and a glass of wine. Premières and special events are regularly held there. Look out for the stars, who knows!
5- No need to spend a fortune on food. Bars propose a variety of cheap local tapas such as those creamed meatballs (Bitterballen) for a few euros. Another classic in winter would be Erwtensop, a rich pea soup. We tried a plate of mature gouda, which was served with mustard – a surprising alliance.
You will also find Stroopwafels, a thin waffle sandwich filled with caramel. Indonesian restaurants are also very present and are considered part of the national cuisine – same as Indian food in England.
6- Chocoholics just have to stop at Puccini Bomboni. This elegant boutique has amazing chocolate bites in a rainbow of flavours: walnut, cranberry, cinnamon, tea and honey. The cocoa is top quality, the flavours linger on your tongue and you will be dreaming of those when back home.
7- Step back in time in Wynand Fockink. The timeless bar opened in 1679 and hasn’t changed much since. Mix with the locals, admire the setting – wooden from floor to ceiling – and choose from their selection of 60 liquors.
Some are little poems in themselves, such as the rose-almond-orange one. Others are traditional – the Kraamannijs was made with star anise and given to mothers who had just given birth. It comes in blue for a baby boy, pink for a girl.
The aperitifs are served in glasses that open up and allow the liquid to make a kind of bubble on top. You are meant to slurp the first gulp when it is still on the counter. Even better, they are only €2.50 each and you can buy bottles of your favourite flavour to take home.
8- Find peace at the Begijnhof – a convent dating back to the medieval times. The houses look like minute doll houses with impeccable gardens. Sit in the courtyard to enjoy a ray of sunshine – it’s difficult to believe the high street is just a minute away…
9- Walk through Chinatown to discover the largest Buddhist temple in Europe – such a change of atmosphere after the traditional Dutch architecture.
10- Take some time to enjoy the tulips outside the city at Keukenhof – an unforgettable experience. Hundreds of varieties will charm you. They remind me of the rose in St Exupery’s The Little Prince.
So pretty, they must have taken great care in unfolding each petal, as if it were an haute-couture dress. This outing is fantastic with children as there are plenty of spaces for them to run, a mini farm and a playground.
Amsterdam proves a very poetic and romantic city. We only used public transports from and to the hotel, as the ballads really are a treat. Do not hesitate to ask the locals for help if you do feel lost – they probably are the kindest in Europe. Plan three days rather than two as there is so much to be enjoyed!
Last week, Japanese hosiery brand Tabio held an exclusive bloggers event at its Kensington High Street store, which I attended with the lovely Fuyume and Actually Akeela.
Tabio are my everyday choice of tights, so I needed no persuading about their brilliance. However, I was amazed at just how many ranges of socks, tights, leggings and accessories there were.
Tabio have become know as the fashionista’s choice of tights, as each piece is handmade and durable, the colour range is immense and all colours comes in a selection of opaques – from sheer 30 denier to complete colour block 210 denier.
Tabio tights have featured at London Fashion Week shows for Matthew Williamson, Lou Dalton and Aminaka Wilmont. Tabio are further delving into the fashion world with new collaborative collection with Central St Martins MA graduate, JS.LEE.
The limited edition two-tone striped tights come in ivory, mint and black and were snapped up quickly by the fashion bloggers!
Tabio have foot apparel for every occasion and some of my favourites were the cricket striped knee socks, glittery ballet sockettes, sheer black polka dot tights, woollen grey marl tights and the thick ribbed cotton tights with stripes on the thigh.
One thing that sets Tabio apart from the rest is their wonderful staff. The Tabio crew were on hand to help with sizing and deniers and gave personal recommendation and advice on how to style them up.
Tabio kindly offered us the choice of any product in the store as a gift and 20% off all purchases.
Making a decision was pretty difficult, so luckily we were given deli sandwiches, shortbread and Vitamin Water to sustain us through our indecisiveness!
Despite the warm weather, I was drawn to the thick winter tights and went for a pair of dusty pink cotton ribbed tights with navy blue stripes on the thigh. I already have plans to wear them with a winter floral dress, high brogues and a tweed blazer…think Anna Sui and Charlotte Ronson. I also used the store discount to replenish my ever-growing collection of black 80 denier Tabio tights.
See the Spring/Summer 2011 collections and buy online at: www.tabio.com
Sitting in the Townhouse Suite at The Zetter Townhouse, amid sumptuous fabrics, epic novels and a mysterious wall partition, I looked out from the large sash windows over the cobbled streets and felt instantly transported to the worlds of Lord Byron and Oscar Wilde (the latter being from a later era, but nevertheless a literary deviant).
There are few hotels in London that can conjure up the spirit of times gone by, but The Zetter Townhouse is a boutique temple to all things romantic and antiquated, with all the modern luxury touches, of course.
A handsome Georgian townhouse, The Zetter Townhouse has been designed by Russell Sage (other projects include The Savoy and The Goring) and occupies a charmed location on a cobbled cul-de-sac tucked just behind The Zetter Hotel and next door to The Modern Pantry.
On arrival, The Zetter Townhouse has an intimate, homely atmosphere, as there is no designated check-in area, just a discreet computer at the back of the cocktail lounge.
Our dwelling for the night was the stunning Townhouse Suite. Designed in earthy library shades (think Farrow & Ball), the bedroom and separate living area were filled with dark wood antique furnishings, sumptuous Gainsborough fabrics, Persian rugs and the most gorgeous striped carpet ran throughout.
The spacious bedroom felt relaxing and homely and had a small writing desk, wall-mounted flat-screen TV and large glass bottles of complimentary spring water from The Zetter Borehole by the bedside. The bed not only looks divine, with heavy damask drapes, but was like being nestled inside a marshmallow and covered in the finest linen.
The bathroom is huge and well-appointed with a vintage-style freestanding bath with showerhead, a mist-free mirror, magnifying mirror, plenty of fluffy towels, embroidered bathrobes and slippers, a vintage-style Roberts radio and natural REN bath products.
In fact, there are enough REN products for an indulgent spa evening, as we were given a whole range of lovely bath and skincare products to try out. More beauty brands really should work more with hotels to gain new devotees to the ranges!
A current trend for hotels is to have glass bathroom doors as some kind of anti-bourgeois liberal statement (the English prude in me doesn’t like them). However, The Zetter Townhouse has a more playful approach to the bathroom peek-a-boo with carved wooden shutters opening to the bedroom.
Minimalism is an unknown concept at The Zetter Townhouse and the mass of antique furniture gives the rooms purpose and character, as though you’ve just walked into a luxurious city pied-à-terre.
The Zetter Townhouse may look back to more romantic epoques, but its approach to hosting guests is one of the most forward-thinking and accommodating in London.
The separate living room has everything you could possibly need for elegance lounging. We had a flat screen TV (in each room), personally selected hard-back novels, a stack of glossy magazines, a SONOS music system and best of all, free wifi.
Taking tea is a ritual at The Zetter Townhouse and there is no compromising on the quality of the products or the ceremony.
A generous selection of loose leaf teas from Rare Tea Co. came with a tea pot, tea strainer and large cups. We also had use of a Nespresso machine complete with plenty coffee capsules and my favourite new gadget, a Latteccino, which makes hot, frothy milk in a mere minute.
Soon after we arrived, we were brought platter of freshly sliced fruit, a bottle of fresh milk and ice, should we wish for an aperitif.
Bistrot Bruno Loubet is just a stone-throw away at The Zetter Hotel, but you can quite easily coop yourself in at your city bolthole without having to hunt and gather dinner.
The cocktail bar offers bar snack and light meals and there is 24-hour room service, a gourmet snack tray and minibar stocked with bespoke Zetter Townhouse mixed cocktails and restorative bitters.
That evening, we went down to The Zetter Cocktail Lounge to try some of the Olde English-style cocktails. Downstairs is where the real quirkiness of the townhouse is felt, as the cocktail lounge, adjoining dining room and basement games room are filled with bric-a-brac, oddities and taxidermy from around the world.
The Cocktail Lounge is a collaboration between The Zetter and the creators of the highly-esteemed 69 Colebrook Row, Tony Conigliaro and Camille Hobby Limon.
We sat under the watchful gaze of the hotel’s painted patron, Wilhelmina, but more about her later (no, she’s not the kangaroo).
After a long, peaceful sleep, we awoke to a wonderful continental breakfast delivered to our room. And what a visual feast it was too – just look at the divine china and silver cutlery!
We started the day with fresh, flaky pastries, home-made chocolate chip mini muffins, sourdough toast served with French butter and a large saucer of home-made jam, coconut yogurt, Cornflakes, fruit juice and the most delicious pears and apricots stewed in cinnamon syrup. On weekends, The Zetter Townhouse serves a cooked breakfast, which I imagine to be just as decadent and delicious.
A stay at The Zetter Townhouse is one of those magical experiences that you’ll never forget and it will probably become a benchmark for comparing all future hotel experiences.
Eccentricity is matched with a meticulous attention to detail, creating a charming London residence steeped in history with all the mod cons that you’d expect from a modern design hotel. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Citizen Coralie Aude Grassin visits Amsterdam’s innovative budget design hotel that is soon to arrive in London…
Going on a city-break always brings a dilemma. Should you splash out on the hotel or the activities? You then end up spending hours on the web trying to find the best deal for a gorgeous looking place.
CitizenM Amsterdam City has come up with an interesting solution – a design yet budget-friendly hotel. Situated just 10 minutes by train from Schiphol Airport and 15 minutes by tram (which stops right in front of the building) from the town centre, it proves an excellent option for week-ends away.
No wait for the check in – you can enter your reservation code yourself on the computers as soon as you step in and program your key card. Same goes for the check-out.
There is, of course, always a member of staff nearby if you are in need of help or a place to put your luggage for a few hours. They proved very helpful with our tourist questions, even going online to give us the train schedules and providing us with a helpful pop-up map of the city.
The rooms use a new design angle – the bed is extra-wide with storage drawers underneath, the window takes the whole wall to offer maximum lighting and the shower is hidden in a colour changing capsule. It feels modern, new and fun.
A remote control allows you to open the electric curtains, play music, watch TV or modify the hue of the bathroom bubble (that alone will keep you playing quite some time).
CitizenM also has a great sense of humour with little touches here and there. A note advises you to lock your valuables… lucky socks included. On each room door is a saying, with a different theme per floor.
We loved how random they could be and visited several corridors just to enjoy them: “When selecting a camel, choose one with a full neck, it indicates heightness” (Egypt), “A good lawyer is a bad neighbour” (North America), “3rd of July: Grandmothers festival”, in which thousands of grandmothers gather to scuba dive, parachute jump, ride motorcycles and play football (Norway). You’re not likely to forget which room is yours! Even coffee cups have a playful wording.
The whole design of the hotel is fascinating. Most of the furniture is by Vitra – an interesting balance of modern and Asian inspiration. Wander through the whole ground floor to enjoy different atmospheres in each niche. Free wifi is available with a dedicated space offering iMacs if you have not brought your laptop. Plenty of chairs and tables invite guests to pause and chat the whole evening away.
Just stop at the café, open 24/7, and grab sushi, fresh sandwiches, pastries, lovely salads with a twist…or even order a gorgeous cocktail such as the violet-based house signature, Mobile Martini!
CitizenM proves a very well-considered hotel, allowing independence and flexibility while still retaining a homely feeling. You can also decide to stay at their airport location (a 25 minute train ride from the town centre). Keep the name in mind – there is also a CitizenM in Glasgow and they are soon to open their doors in London, both near the Tate Modern and in Tower Hill.
Urban Outfitters hosted its Autumn/Winter 2011 press day at the Oxford Circus store and presented some of the key looks for next season.
The first major trend, Dark Romance is inspired by the creative, bohemian look of a Goldsmiths fine art student. Expect ‘Biba meets The Bloomsbury Set’ dark florals, chunky knits in autumnal shades, sheer layers, prim blouses, high-waisted trousers and plenty of velvet.
This dungaree and sheer blouse look reminds me of the Roberto Cavalli dungarees often worn by stylist Camille Bidault-Waddington…
Second look, Cobain, references the slouchy, thrift-store androgyny of early 90s grunge, mixed with a bit of ‘global traveller’ Navajo style.
Key pieces include maxi skirts worn with beat-up boots, ribbed vests, 90s band tees, knitwear with ombre stripes and woolly beanies.
Highlights of the new womenswear collection are the sheer blush short-sleeved dress by Vaudeville & Burlesque, a fuchsia silk shirt by Wyred and fine knits by Le Mont St Michel. My absolute favourite dress is the adorable tba fuchsia and white silk pleated day dress with peter pan collar.
Next season’s accessories are seriously covetable and include Swedish Hasbeen grey lace-up boots, Jeffrey Campbell ‘Lita’ platform heeled boots, red bow lace-up brogues by F Troupe, new satchels by The Cambridge Satchel Company, and an adorable Carin Wester white faux fur muff.
