TLC Vacation: Montenegro with Octavia Hix

I was recently whisked away by Octavia Hix to beautiful Montonegro for a fun filled few days.  I got to explore the country’s dramatic coastlines by speedboat, its breathtaking views over wine-tasting, and its Unesco-listed old town of Kotor (all very Game of Thrones), ALL whilst getting to wear some of the designer’s newest, silkiest designs. Spoilt, much??... Da!  

I wore an Octavia Hix dress on a trip to the Caribbean last year, and was really excited to get my mitts on some more.  Founded by sun-kissed sisters Vix and Hattie Clark, Octavia Hix really do create the most timeless, ageless and elegant printed silk dresses, which you can even wear as over sized shirts with jeans on chillier days.  The prints are inspired by their travels and their upcoming marble print was designed with Montenegro in mind.

I flew out on British Airways to Dubrovnik, where we were swiftly collected and driven across the border to the Regent Porto Montenegro, our glamorous new abode.

The Venetian-Renaissance inspired hotel is located inside the exclusive Porto Montenegro complex, neighbouring an abundance of chic cafes, restaurants (TLC TIP: Head straight to Byblos for the most amazing Lebanese feast) and designer boutiques, a sprawling Yacht Club (with the most INSANE of infinity pools) and it overlooks a picturesque 450-berth super-yacht marina… I mean, I obviously fitted in perfectly, darrrrling!

As well as having its own in-house bakery (the dream), the Regent Porto Montenegro is home to a cosy library bar, a delicious Mediterranean/Fusion-Asian restaurant, and the most heavenly spa, one I was lucky enough to visit on my last evening for an amazing massage. 

Two real highlights of the trip included taking in the amazing views over wine tasting (my new favourite hobby) at Castel Savina (TLC TIP:  The Castel Savina Merlot is ACES. Two enthusiastic thumbs up!) and our boat ride around the atmospheric Kotor Bay.  

Despite not being the sunniest of boat trips, the billowing clouds rolling over the bay, in all its wild, brooding beauty, was incredible and I loved weaving around the dramatic maze of cobbled streets in Kotor’s walled in medieval old town, which incidentally is brim full with stray cats… I’m not even kidding.  The whole town FREAKING LOVES CATS, and every shop and restaurant leaves water and food out for these descendants of seafaring felines, and there are even designated shops exclusively selling a plethora of cat clobber. Basically, I think I’ve found my people…

TLC ON TOUR... MONTENEGRO SUITCASE:

(Click on the items below for their direct links)

Thank you Octavia Hix, Regent Porto Montenegro and British Airways.

Chelsea In Bloom x Bloom & Wild

Last week Chelsea was indeed in BLOOOOOM.  The theme of this year’s annual ‘alternative’ floral art show (lets face it, ‘dem Chelsea Flower Show tickets are like gold dust!) was ‘Floral Safari,’ and the shops and restaurants of Chelsea were all filled with the most creative of wild displays, all competing for several coveted awards.  

Bloom & Wild, the hugely popular letterbox flower delivery service and leading floral stylists, teamed up with Club Monaco, creating a stunning Borneo inspired installation at their Sloane Square shop.  With cascading lush greenery with intermittent flashes of bright, tropical colour, you could wander around on the scout for wild (albeit more fragrant than ferocious) exotic wildlife.

From camouflaged frogs to cheeky orangutans and elusive clouded leopards, a ‘safari guide’ was on hand to add to the interactive experience, and being from Kenya myself, with a true passion for wildlife, you can only imagine how much I enjoyed exploring this jungle.

I specifically loved the stark contrast of Bloom & Wild’s rugged combination of palms, ferns, over grown vines and moss, set alongside Club Monaco’s clean and modern Spring styles. The neutral-heavy Club Monaco outfit I chose to wear also served to highlight this.

Bloom & Wild, most deservedly, won the People’s Champion Award, as voted for by the public – Congratulations!  

In Collaboration with Bloom & Wild

Photography: Tom Griffiths

Hair:  Secret Spa

Nails:  Swanky

Boden Icons Summer 2017

If you haven’t heard about Boden Icons before, you are to be entirely forgiven, mainly because the hero pieces of each of the limited edition, capsule collections usually sell out within minutes, with a good 90% of all stock having found happy homes within mere days!  Last season I had my beady eyes on a beautiful, cream embroidered skirt, and when I was inevitably too slow off the mark and missed out, I vowed to be more prepared this time round!

When I previewed the Boden Icons collection a few months back, it was the embroidered Rita Skirt which really stood out for me.  The stunning, intricate embroidery (also found on the skirt’s matching Rita Jacket), was inspired by a vintage jacket discovered in Portobello Market last year, so I felt it only, my new Boden Icons suede Martha Heels in hand, to hit those same streets of Notting Hill, to give it its first lil'shimmy...

This more premium and unique, 24 piece Boden Icons collection was inspired by the 1920’s and is all exquisitely crafted by hand. Each piece is really individual and regardless whether you prefer something structured, flowy, lacey or ruffled, there will be something here to turn your head... Just be quick - Only a few hundred of each item have been produced!

Above:  Wearing a Walton Gold Russian Wedding Ring (RRP. £295.00) and the 9ct Gold Satao bracelet (RRP. £140.00) from my Tembo Collection with Auree Jewellery (100% profits of entire collection go to For Rangers and wildlife conservation across Africa - See More Here), with the Angled Marble Gold Cuff (RRP. £155.00) and Totem Gold Cuff (RRP. £135.00) by Edge of Ember.

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Shop the full Boden Icons Summer 2017 Collection HERE.

Photography: Moeez Ali

Hair: Taylor Taylor London

Nails: Sophie Gass

Friday Feathers with Matthew Williamson

There is nothing, nooothing, that can put you in more of a party mood than one of Matthew Williamson’s signature cocktail dresses.  From the intricate, sparkling embellishment, to their ostrich-feather trimmed skirt, these show stopping, conversation starting, razamatazz inducing, form-fitting dresses are unashamedly feminine and oodles fun.  Some of my most frivolous and fanciful nights in London have been spent shimmying around in one of these fancies.  Ohhhh, the stories they could (but thankfully won’t) tell…!

I recently enjoyed the most unashamedly girly morning with the ‘Gown Gang’ playing dress up in Matthew Williamson’s new Belvoir Collection (see more here).  With Brown’s Hotel acting as our lavish host, Charlotte Tilbury’s team on hand to make us look our best, and an army of Jimmy Choo beauties standing to attention, I couldn’t help but try the Matthew’s latest, one-of-a-kind, Rose Lace Feather delight on to share with you.  Friday - Watch out, buddy!

Above:  Wearing the 9ct Gold Satao (RRP. £140.00) and the Silver Shina (RRP. £50.00) bracelets from my Tembo Collection with Auree Jewellery (100% profits of entire collection go to For Rangers and wildlife conservation across Africa - See More Here) and an Assya London Oriental Cross Ring (RRP. £195.00)

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TLC LOVES... Matthew Williamson Feathers

Photographer:  Moeez Ali

Hair:  Secret Spa

Nails:  Sophie Gass

A Spring in my Step with Temperley London

I have always loved Temperley London’s free-spirited aesthetics, in fact the first designer dress I ever bought myself (albeit when it hit the sale, with a staff discount added on top, back in my wee shop girl days!) was a sparkling Temperley cocktail dress.  The excitement of wearing one of Alice’s bohemian dresses or best selling, cooler than cool sequin jumpsuits never ends (or fails to turn the right heads!) and this season’s collection, inspired by dreamcatchers, is a vision.  Immaculately crafted with strikingly colourful prints and patterns, these pieces can easily take you from day to night, which was exactly what I was looking for when I attended my friend’s wedding in Chelsea last weekend.  

The Temperley London V-Neck Aura Dress beautifully encapsulates this time of year, with its bold thread work embroidery featuring flowers and the most gorgeous bees. With a dress like this you should keep all your accessories to a bare minimum; A good pair of Choos (the only skyscrapers I can comfortably stand for eight hours in) and a gorgeous draping of wisteria and you’re good to go, with a Spring in your step…

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Hair:  Taylor Taylor London

TLC LOVES... Temperley London SS'17

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer x River Island

Right now, breast cancer is at a tipping point;  More women are surviving, but more are being diagnosed than ever before.  One in eight women in the UK will face breast cancer in their lifetime and currently every 45 minutes another woman dies from the disease.

With these overwhelming statistics in mind, I'm so proud to be supporting Fashion Targets Breast Cancer this year.  30% of each sale of River Island's Choker Sweatshirt (RRP. £30.00) will go straight to Breast Cancer Now, helping fund the vital research needed to end this devastating disease.

We're all in this together... Shop it. Own it. Wear it. 

Makeup:  Secret Spa

Matthew Williamson's Belvoir Collection

In a wonderful attempt to coax the Spring sunshine out of hiding, Matthew Williamson’s ‘Gown Gang’ congregated at the palatial Kiping Sweet in Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair to play dress up in our favourite designer’s new Belvoir Collection. 

Matthew's opulent collection is inspired by Belvoir Castle and its beautiful interiors, with beautifully flowing countryside florals and eccentric patterns featuring monkeys and peacocks. 

After a breakfast feast comprising of acai bowls and chocolate dipped bananas (and apple pastries, which I admit, I ate four of – but they were REALLY REALLY TINY, people!) Charlotte Tilbury’s amazing team were on hand to give us all gorgeous make-overs. 

After each choosing one of the show stopping dresses to wear, and grabbing a pair of Cinderella worthy Jimmy Choo's, we braced the chilly streets of London for our multi-coloured Sun Dance (a little like a Rain Dance but with less stomping, and a lot more of our signature swooshing!)

Now, we don’t want to compleeeeetely take credit for the recent heavenly rays shining through the grey… But I don’t want to fully discount this theory either.  Jus’sayin.

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Photography:  Moeez Ali

Hair:  Secret Spa

Nails:  Sophie Gass

Smythson's Kingly Collection

Smythson will take your ol'canvas bag and raise ya… Their new, light weight and butter-soft leather Kingly bags have launched and are fast making those now tatty canvas totes hanging in your kitchen quite redundant!  Easy to carry around and designed to be rolled and unfolded without losing its shape, this bag is my perfect, and most chic, handbag overflow solution! 

I always carry two bags; one large, one small.  During the day, whilst whizzing around London, the large bag carries my Rose Gold MacBook, Smythson 2017 Diary and umbrella, leaving room for that last minute 1/2 pint of milk, and some sort of unnecessary Portobello Market curiosity bought en route home.  The small cross-body carries the essentials I need quick access to; My orange Smythson's Mara Card Wallet which also holds my Oyster card, my iPhone 6 Plus, Lipstick (currently I’m pouting with Tom Ford's 'Bruised Plum'), mints and keys. If I go straight out after work, I check in the large bag and I'm all set with the small.  

Available in their signature Nile Blue, contemporary silver and classic black, you can even have your Kingly bag personalised with your name, or favourite motif... I went for a unicorn - how sweet?!

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Photography: Tommy Clarke

Hair: Clo & Flo

Nails: Sophie Gass

#OOTD: 19.03.17

I have been an avid fan of the British cashmere label Wyse London since their launch in 2014, even featuring them in my first ever column in Hello! Fashion Monthly.  Their unique, but totally wearable, cashmere is flattering, beyond soft, pretty affordable and most importantly, C.O.L.O.U.R.F.U.L. 

We all know one of my favourite colours is rainbow (‘rainbow-leopard’ to be specific…) and it just so happens, that amongst a love for stars and neon, Wyse London also shares my penchant for a bright, joyous, multi coloured stripe. Their charcoal grey, slouchy Ines Jumper (RRP. £180.00) and Lucie Loungers (RRP. £195.00) are now my GO TO outfit for hanging at home and for strolling around Portobello, and they're sure to become like a second skin on my upcoming skiing trip.  A winning combo of comfortable yet stylish, I challenge you to find something else as effortless and relaxed, yet wholly luxurious and fun.  

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Photographer:  Ella Sadika

Hair:  Ruuby App.  Nails:  Sophie Gass

#OOTD: 17.03.17

When I broke my wrist earlier this year there were VERY few things that were capable of cheering me up. Realising that in a miserable post-Gilmore Girls world I could still watch hours of Matt Czuchry by starting seven seasons of The Good Wife was one, and this Topshop Duster Coat was the other.

I first saw this coat on some cool cat at Portobello hotspot, The Electric, one morning during a meeting. I assumed the over-sized, colour blocking coat HAD to be designer - the maximalist sizing and the colour clashing just seemed too fashwunnn to be easily (or financially) accessible – so I quickly moved my thoughts back to my pancakes.  I saw the coat a week later whilst perusing Topshop’s website, which was OBVIOUSLY a sign, right?!! I mean, I basically manifested this coat back into my world, and at a jolly decent price… It had to be mine. 

As predicted, I absolutely love it, and with Spring toying with us, seemingly unwilling to stick around and play ball, this colour block Topshop Duster Coat is warm enough for London’s current chilly situ, but not too wooly or faux furry that I feel like I’ll melt on those rare, but gloooorious, sunny days.  EVEN better, this coat is now in the sale (reduced from £129.00 to £65.00!) so move QUIIIIICK!!

Now, excuse me, must get back to Cary Agos… (*I still love you Logan Huntzberger!)

Topshop Duster Coat RRP. £65.00

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Photographer:  Ella Sadika