Sophia Rogge - Coral Conservation

Corals Are Cool

The beautiful and fragile coral reefs of the world are in crises. Under serious threat, from global warming and destructive fishing practices to name but two, the destruction of these organisms has become such an important issue that in many areas they are considered endangered species.

Enter: Sophia Rogge, The Caped Coral Crusader.

Ok… Perhaps not caped, but definitely decoratively wrapped.

Sophia, a talented artist, is making coral conservation fashionable. Her debut collection of eco friendly beaded sarongs depicting beautiful kaleidoscopic corals and made with environmentally safe dyes in India, come in a range of colours (Kaledia, Blush, Cobalt and Amber – my favourite's the Kaledia) along with a Kaledia Mini sarong, and the Summer Scarf - the softest and prettiest around.

I Wannem. All.

10% of all Sophia’s eco beachwear sales go to Corals for Conservation who work with local fishing communities and the tourism industries in restoring damaged reef areas and protecting the coral reefs for the future.

Available from her website and reasonably priced (from £30 – £95) Sophia believes coral conservation is everyone’s problem so her range is refreshingly more affordable and accessible than other such stylish ranges.

Here is a picture of me wearing the much sought after Summer Scarf. (Jeans by H&M. Shirt from Topshop.)

I assisted Sophia on her photo shoots for the collection - see the collage below for some 'behind the scenes' pictures. Also featured in the photos are makeup artist Charlotte Cowen and model Willow Crossley (with her son Wolf!)

Best Of London - Kalita Al Swaidi

Kalita Al Swaidi, 29, is an aspiring TV presenter and celebrated lingerie designer (her embroidered chiffon knickers make the best presents - Kate Moss and Kylie are both said to be fans.) Kalita lives in West London (with one of the most enviable, stylish wardrobes in the city) and was named after the beautiful flower that grows on cactus.

Here Kalita shares her London Favourites;

My Transport - My Rover Mini

My Cocktail - A Margarita with a best friend at Santo towards the end of Portobello Road.

My Date Night - With my 'lover' at The Oak; cocktails upstairs and pizza downstairs and maybe, some tequila and pole dancing next door at Crazy Homies. Or, karaoke and sake at a dive bar in Soho.

My Sunday Brunch - With family or friends at Julie's Restaurant – especially on a sunny day on an outside table – order the roast chicken and bring your children or your dogs (they even have a Sunday crèche for the little ones if you want to enjoy some cocktails in the sun.)

My Boutique - Austique for all the special little things – either to cheer yourself up on a rainy day or for the best birthday gifts.

My High Street Store – Topshop (especially their online website – great for secret buying from your desk when you are going on holiday on Friday and need to be in the office all the hours before.)

London¹s Best Kept Secret - Black cabs – the cabbies give the best advice and tell the best jokes.

My London Icon (Past or Present) – The pigeons… It has to be…

www.kalita.co.uk

'Mam'

Last night I went to the ICA to watch ‘Mam’ at the Rushes Soho Shorts 2011 Festival.
Written by the gorgeous Vivienne Harvey, it sees her boyfriend, acclaimed British actor, Hugo Speer, in his directorial debut.

After acting together 3 years ago, Vivienne and Hugo set up a production company called Vigo Films and set about filming ‘Mam’ in Sheffield - the same city Hugo filmed the 1997 Oscar-nominated, Brit classic ‘The Full Monty.'

Extremely well directed – no mean feat when working with 5 young children – the star of ‘Mam’ is almost certainly its lead, 13 year old Ronan Carter. His heartbreaking performance of a child, desperately trying to keep his family together by fending for his younger siblings and looking after his sick mother, was beautifully performed and extremely poignant.

Screened at several film festivals from Utah to Moscow and continuing it's festival run throughout 2011, you can see 'Mam' later this year when available to download via iTunes.

In the meantime Vivienne and Hugo are working on a feature film script together - Viva Vigo!

Marie Claire's September Issue

(Dolce & Gabanna silk chiffon star print dress)


Last night I joined the fashion fabulous, at Argyll Street’s Aqua Neuva, for the launch of Marie Claire’s September Fashion Issue - the issue that heralds the start of the new year of fashion, and deemed the most important edition of the year.

Their September Issue features Anne Hathaway on the front cover.

Whilst the fash pack sipped on champagne and giant, fish bowl like glasses of gin and tonics, and nibbled on delicious canapés, the rain held off just long enough for me to catch up with Marie-Clare’s Executive Fashion Editor, Tanya Semikoz.

Their predictions for this Autumn include a Mad Men inspired return to ladylike shapes and demure elegance (pussy bow blouses and classic pencil skirts) and a homage to the 1970's (jewel tones and luxurious fabrics) with shades of orange and snakeskin prints being key trends to keep an eye out for.

RIP Amy Winehouse...

Amy Winehouse's close friend, Russell Brand wrote a beautiful remembrance on his official website; “From her oddly dainty presence came that voice, a voice that seemed not to come from her but from somewhere beyond even Billie and Ella, from the font of all greatness. A voice that was filled with such power and pain that it was at once entirely human yet laced with the divine. My ears, my mouth, my heart and mind all instantly opened.”

With her soulful voice, raw lyrics, unapologetic attitude and unique sense of style, Amy’s musical impact will never be forgotten.

Here are two of my favourite examples of that voice...

RIP Amy.

Credit Buy - Sunglasses



Lots of people have commented on my 1940's looking sunglasses recently (modelled beautifully here by one of my two amazing Great-Dane/Ridgebacks, Maximus.

Although my cheapie pair are no longer available, Ray Ban have a near identical pair (above)

£97.00

And so do Illesteva - Their Leonard Sunglasses are available at Matches (and seen in Grazia this week!)

£155.00

Sexual Nature - The National History Museum

Bird's Do It, Bee's Do It...

If ever I find myself at a loss for words (admittedly, not regularly) I often pepper awkward silences with an array of animal facts memorized over the years – everyone loves an animal fact, no??

Giraffe can’t cough.
Hippopotamus milk is bright pink.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.


Yes – Conversational Gold people!!

So imagine my joy when I saw The Natural History Museum (previously seen in my mind as the home of dinosaurs and swarming herds of children armed with colds and clipboards) were showing an exhibition entitled ‘Sexual Nature’ – a whole area dedicated to the most awesome, and thoroughly racy, animal facts around.

With low lighting, seedy lounge room music and the frequent cries of Isabella Rossellini begging various species of wildlife to seduce her (her fabulous, award winning ‘Green Porn’ shorts are shown throughout) you undertake a giggly, multi-sensory exploration of the weird and wonderful world of the sexual and reproductive behaviour of hundreds of animals and insects.

I am thrilled that any future awkward dinner party moments look set to be resolved with a more risqué myriad of animal knowledge (“Do you know snakes have two penises and an octopus's testicles are located in its head? Please pass the gravy...”) but I would however, strongly recommend veering away from the ‘sniff me’ boxes containing the mating scents of wild stags and jaguars.. More than likely similar to Ron Burgandy’s fragrance of choice, the infamous, ‘Sex Panther’ ("60% of the time it works every time!”) a handy packet of Tic Tacs later, I was still wincing.

Exhibiting until the last Friday of October 2011.

Musical Moment - Beyonce ('Best Thing I Never Had')


I love Beyonce as much as the next person… as long as that next person isn’t my boyfriend – he loooooooves Mrs Z - and the first scene of this music video will do nothing to suppress his crush.

Every one of us has someone (or sometwo… or somethree... hey, whose counting?!) that this song could be belted out to - so this song is dedicated to all the douche bags - the best things we never had…