Girl's crush: Spijkers en Spijkers

Another day, another show. Yesterday afternoon we sat front row at Spijkers en Spijkers.

The fashion label founded by Dutch twins Truus and Riet Spijkers, are continuing the current 20s trend into spring/summer 13 with their new collection. 

In bright dessert colours, slim, flapper style dresses and Art Deco geometric shapes impressed the guests at Vauxhall Fashion Scout. 

The collection, named La Femme Paysage, is inspired by the work of Sonia Delaunay.

www.trisori.com

Hemyca 'Pure Spirit' SS2013 Show

Hemyca has a name for creating clothes for 'real' women, so I was particularly excited to see what they would bring out for next season. Taking place at 1508, the home of Tom Ford in Victoria, their collection drew on the struggle of the 'pure spirit' in today's society - the ongoing push-pull that one's conscience feels between their morality and the urges of the everyday world.

The contrast is embodied in the transparent white and pink pieces representing the innocence of the puritan, floaty chiffon pieces focusing on modesty whilst empowerment is visible in the jewelled embellishment on darker pieces and the peforated leather in numerous pieces.

One of the highlights of the show was Leah Weller who modelled a bespoke pink evening dress which was created to be auctioned in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness month in October at the Pink Ribbon Ball. Her father Paul came along to support her too, sitting front row.

Models had poker straight long hair one of the come back trends for this season for hair, whilst eyes were made up with paper eyelashes giving a goth look for those with dark hair and black outfits. Shoes were kept simple - mainly towering black heels - many adorned with Blingbacks - jewelled embellishments for the back of the heel.

Hemyca is based in Chelsea
HEMYCA STUDIO
58 Elizabeth Street
London
SW1W 9PB
info@hemyca.com
+44(0)7768 383247
www.hemyca.com

www.trisori.com

Love of the week: Timur Kim

London Fashion Week at last. It's the time of the year where London lights up with new designers and amazing couture dresses. Our first show of the season was Timur Kim. His spring/summer 13 collection floated through the grand chapel at Vauxhall Fashion Scout in denim blue hues, with a distinctly 70s vibe.

Photos by Ranen Baynes-Stephenson

Fabric is at the centre of the latest collection from the Central Saint Martins graduate with unusual mixtures which included denim paired with lace and silk for an elegant touch to the usually utilitarian material. Can I have the second outfit please?

www.trisori.com

To Clutch..

The crook-of-the-arm bag carrying technique has been the accepted method for fashionistas for a while now (how else to simultaneously utilise both Blackberry and latte?), but recently, more ingenious ways to tote have slowly been creeping into the repertoire of the catwalks: I’m talking about the trend to clutch.
After all, nothing finishes off an outfit like a great bag; to channel a trend, brighten up a trusty Little Black Dress or add a touch of sparkle. This season, the trendiest, brightest, sparkliest all come in clutch form.

They don’t come much bolder than this hot studded number from Christian Louboutin. In leopard print pony skin, the red leather interior also features an Ipad pocket. The ultimate way to transport your tablet from meeting to meeting, and the very hottest accompaniment to those post-work drinks.

For a more demure daytime clutch, I love the 31 Minute Bag from 3.1 Phillip Lim. Big enough to cope with all your daily essentials and with a wrist strap to allay hand fatigue. In classic navy leather with silver hardware, the relaxed finish is great for off-duty wear.

After a touch of the exotic? Grab this crocodile envelope clutch from Nancy Gonzalez. Oversized and sleek, it is chic for evening but can also feasibly be translated into daywear with it’s slate grey palette.

Alternatively, go all out for evening with a Baroque inspired edition of Alexander McQueen’s iconic knuckle duster clutch. Incorporating an elaborate gold tone crest and tapestry style embroidery, this is pure extravagance!

If you’re planning to take a note from autumns top berry toned trend, then pick up the burgundy version of the classic Belle Du Jour clutch from Yves Saint Laurent. With a glossy textured leather finish and subtle embossed logo, chic and timeless is the name of the game here. 

So if there was ever any doubt in the question ‘to clutch or not to clutch?’, my vote at least, is strongly in the affirmative!

Aisha
www.trisori.com

Food Spectrum's Free Company @ The Endurance

I was really excited to read that The Endurance pub in the heart of Soho was starting a concept called Food Spectrum whereby upcoming chefs take over the kitchen for a month or so and you can then try their delicious food. In residence at the moment is Free Company, which is a collective of chefs that specialise in pop-ups. It consists of three in total - David Boycott, Billy Stock and Josh Rhodes, which will sure be names to watch in the future from the standard of food I ate.

They claim to bring inventive, modern British food to Berwick Street and yup, they have done it! It was by far one of my best lunches in the vicinity at any rate. All the staff were exceptionally hospitable, so you don't mind paying the 12.5% service charge as it really is faultless.

For just £1 a head you can start the meal with fresh bread and hand salted butter, which is 'limitless' as they top you up with as much as you would like, perfect for padding out a couple of dishes.  One can chooose a big main dish or opt for several smaller ones a la tapas style, which suits best if you like to try lots of different things and demonstrates the depth of their skills.

First off, we tried roasted and pickled beetroot with puree, beet leaves and goats cheese: a feast for the eye with it's jewelled beetroot, green leaves and white cheese. A wonderful explosion of flavours on the tongue and a treat for vegetarians that often get same old same old options. Another of the veggie dishes we chose was the king oyster mushroom with braised shallot, migas (Spanish for breadcrumbs) - toasted - and a mash. Once again it was beautifully presented, well executed with a perfect balance of all the elements to get enough bits on each forkful. 

For my carnivore friend, we ordered the chicken drumstick, replete with girolle and roasted garlic gnocchi. Not normally a fan of these double carb bites which can often be cloying too heavy and tasteless, these were
more melt in the mouth style, and were a really refreshingly new accompaniment to the chicken drumstick with the woody girolles. Lastly, the other meat dish we ate was braised pork cheek with cauliflower and roasted pumkin with a mosctel sauce, again a perfect combination for a just-so dish with warm, rich flavours.

All in all, I think one of the keys to their success is in the not trying too hard - not meddling with established combinations too much,  not trying to use too many or too whackier an ingredient and knowing the right amount of varying flavours one plate can take. These boys know that. Go before it goes!

http://www.fcfood.co.uk/blog/
http://www.theendurance.co.uk/

www.trisori.com

Love of the week: Leather pouch bag

Cute, small and trendy, a leather pouch bag can add instant oomph to any outfit. Made from soft cow skin, a small leather pouch bag can be slung around the shoulders and is a perfect replacement for clunky clutches and large purses.

The leather pouch bag is a functional accessory that can hold multiple items, including your phone, a few makeup items, a diary, and other odds and ends. These bags are just the right size to draw attention to themselves without standing out and overpowering the outfit. Bejeweled and sequined bags can also be worn with short skirts and dresses to the nightclub.

Leather pouch bags are equally fashionable for men as well. Larger bags make perfect accessories with suits as well as casual tees and jeans. Since they are sold in a variety of colors, so you can even match them with your outfits for maximum fashion impact!

New Season Body-Con

With Notting Hill Carnival over and August behind us, it is (sadly) officially the end of summer; the start of a new school year and the beginning of the slide into autumn. And with this shift comes the inevitable shift in our wardrobe choices. It’s time for floaty summer florals to take a back seat in favour of the sleek silhouette of autumn’s panelled bodycon dress.

In wool and rubberized tweed, Alexander Wang keeps this bodycon number sharp and directional; the sleek black panels designed to cleverly skim the outline of the figure and make the most of your curves. Throw an ochre oversized blazer over the top for work or step up the look with towering ankle boots for evening.

This daring number from Stella McCartney features mesh insert panelling for a rather risque evening look. For those who are brave enough, the contoured design is guaranteed to sculpt the hottest silhouette so keep the styling simple and let the panels do the talking!

  

Victoria Beckham’s line has gradually worked it’s way past the cynicism of the fashion world and become synonymous with clean, flattering, fashion forward designs, and this kingfisher blue number is no exception. My personal favourite of the season’s bodycon offerings; the subtly quilted panels nip in the waist and the demure length is played off by the form-hugging fit.

Taken from Peter Pilotto’s A/W collection, inspired by Japanese light trucks, this bold print dress is sure to be a show stopper! With a slightly unusual silhouette created by the slim fishtail-esque central panel, this is definitely not fashion for the faint hearted. Slick black heels and a flick of eyeliner are all that is needed to complement this bold number.
So while we slip into longer nights and cooler days, it can’t be all bad with these slick numbers to brighten up the coming autumnal evenings!

Aisha
www.trisori.com