Hill and Friends x Samaritans

Ex-Mulberry creative director Emma Hill’s own brand, Hill and Friends, has been a real favourite of mine since its launch.  The colourful leather hues and love of leopard print couldn’t be more my thaang, not to mention the trademark ‘winking’ twist-lock fastenings on each of their covetable bags – Errrrm… LOVE!  

So, if all of that wasn’t friendly enough, Hill & Friends are offering you 20% off their range of gorgeous emerald leather handbags, and a £50 donation from each purchase of either a Happy Green Shoulder Bag, Happy Green Satchel and Happy Green Clutch made (until the end of June) will go to the Samaritans.  

It feels sooo good to go green… 

“I have been engaged with Samaritans for some years and wholeheartedly support the service they offer. We are delighted to count Samaritans as an official ‘Friend’ of Hill and Friends.”  Emma Hill.

Shop the collection HERE. 

Samaritans is available round the clock, every single day of the year, providing a safe place for anyone who is struggling to cope.  www.samaritans.org

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R.E.V by Rêve En Vert's #SustainableStylist Campaign

The United Nations Climate Change Conference is taking place in Paris next month, and intense discussions about cutting global CO2 emissions will be at the forefront of proceedings.  With many figures from all professions, including fashion, lending their voices to the cause in the lead up to the summit, my friends at Rêve En Vert asked me to help raise awareness with them in their #SustainableStylist campaign for #COP21.  Given that the effects of climate change do and will affect us all, and that preserving our planet is of course all our responsibility, I was thrilled to become involved.

Founded in 2013, Rêve En Vert focusses on sustainable luxury; fashion made from a place of consciousness, stocking designers who not only create stylish, long-lasting clothes and accessories, but who also respect our planet and their customer.  What's not to LOVE?! 

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Founders Cora and Natasha, who I met earlier this summer in Utah, recently developed their own collection of entirely organic prima cotton basic tees, R.E.V by Rêve En Vert, made at an environmentally sound Peruvian factory just outside Lima. Every part of this range has been created with great care and respect for both planet and consumer (even the labels are printed on environmentally low impact fabric from natural dyes!) and I absolutely love my super soft Linda Tee (RRP. £48.00), the perfect accompaniment to my oh-so-predictable but oh-so-loved jeans evvvvveryday look!  A donation from the sales of any of these basics will go to support the work of Fashion Revolution in spreading awareness of the true cost of fashion. 

Photography:  Ella Sadika

Penelope Chilvers for Tusk Trust

I have for a long time been a fan of Penelope Chilvers and with spending much of my year exploring Kenya's beautiful Samburu, I have lived in her fun and fashionable, yet safari friendly footwear.  I am therefore, in definite need of this safari-inspired rucksack in my life/on my back! In celebration of Tusk's 25th anniversary, Penelope is donating 20% of each of the canvas rucksack sales to helping the organisation raise awareness for wildlife and conservation across Africa. The adorable embroidered badges featured on the bag were designed by children from the Coaching 4 Conservation program in Botswana.  

Tusk Rucksack (RRP. £249.00)

Tom's #WithoutShoes Campaign

If you post a photo on Instagram of your bare feet by the end of today using the hashtag #WithoutShoes, and TOMS, the company known for starting a global movement through its One for One business model, will donate a pair of shoes to a child in need in your honour!  So start throwing off your socks with wild abandon and get snapping those tootsies people!! Take a pic = Give some shoes!!

Below are my feet next to a photo I took several years ago of a little girl in her dusty tutu in Tsavo, Kenya.

Matthew Williamson for Red Nose Day 2015: 'Do My Feathers Look Big In This...?'

Red Nose Day 2015 is TOMORROW!  Once again, the nation is gearing up to adorn their noses and get SILLY, all united in the same mission; to transform the lives of millions of people across the UK and across Africa.  Go HERE to donate to this annual fundraiser, remembering that £30.00 could vaccinate 6 children again deadly diseases like meningitis, tetanus and pneumonia, £50.00 could pay for 20 people with dementia to take part in a group session to enhance their self-confidence and communication skills, and £150.00 could buy a wheelchair for a child with a disability in Zambia so they can get to and from school…

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Taking the emblem of the peacock feather, Matthew Williamson has designed a t’shirt, available at TK Maxx, brilliantly asking ‘Do my feathers look big in this?!’  As worn by Daisy Lowe on the front cover of this month’s Elle magazine (below) 100% of the net profits from sales go to Comic Relief, supporting projects to end extreme poverty worldwide.  Show you give a shirt, and buy one HERE (RRP £14.99) now! 

Photographs:  David Nyanzi

My Week In Beulah

Beulah London’s Lady Natasha Rufas Isaacs and Lavinia Brennan not only create elegant designs, loved and worn by the Duchess of Cambridge, but they also help provide a sustainable livelihood to girls rescued from sex trafficking in the Southern slums of Delhi. I for one, particularly enjoy feeling fashionable and virtuous at the same time, so was thrilled to feature in the girl’s recent #MyWeekInBeulah insta-campaign.  After having a blow-dry at Duck & Dry (my new fave) and my make up done by the gorgeous Charlotte Cowen, I went to the Bluebird Chelsea where I was able to get my hands on all the latest  beautiful, ethical designs, style them up à la TLC and take'em for a whirl (or a twirl as it turned out!) 

Above:  Wearing Beulah London's navy Painted Lady Dress with ASOS Happy Go Lucky Heels and Beauchamps of London Codrington Clutch Bag in charcoal. 

Above and Below:  Wearing my favourite look of the day, the Beulah London Blythe Crop Waffle Top and Evangeline Trapeze Skirt with my Lulu Guinness Lips Clutch.

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Photographs:  lse Viveros 

Isabel Marant for Gap Red

To mark World Aids Day on Dec 1st, Parisian designer Isabel Marant has teamed up with Gap Red to help raise awareness. With every sale of the limited-edition slouchy t’shirts, 50% of what you hand over will be donated to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Marant said, "this is one of those rare occasions when fashion can do something to help make the world a slightly better place.”

So far the Gap Red programme has raised over £109 million for The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The T’shirts will be available in Gap stores from Monday 28th November.

The Designer Pudsey Collection

The iconic, yellow Pudsey Bear has been given a fashion makeover from 12 of Britain’s designers for Children In Need.

The little furry mascot has been transformed by Giles Deacon, Emma Hill, Jonathan Saunders, Erdem, Henry Holland, PPQ, Liberty, Patrick Grant and Kate Hillier using an array of different fabrics and patterns to create one off bears which will each be auctioned on ebay, helping to raise money for disadvantaged children within the UK.

How cute is this Pudsey on the left?! Designed by Mulberry’s Creative Director, Emma Hill, this bear was hand made in their Somerset factory in the finest Mulberry leather, “He comes in the same Soft Buffalo leather we use for our Alexa bag and his colour is classic Oak with Chocolate paws and mouth - two of the most iconic Mulberry colours!”

The bears are on display at Liberty London and will be there until November 19th.

For more information and links to auction pages click here.