InstaMonday

1. I finally went to see the Valentino exhibition at Somerset house (it's amazing and if you've not seen it go - it finishes March 3). I took a sneaky picture of one of the dresses. How amazing is it?! 

2. Christian Louboutin shop window on Mount street in London. Shoes heaven.

3. One day last week I came home to a lovely surprise. New dressing table :) There's many more things on it now and I love it!

4. New bottle of Valentina by Valentino. My 3rd bottle since September. It's my fave along with Chanel Chance.

5. My ideal evening these days is spent catching up on fashion monthlies. Cara Delevigne looks super cool on the cover of Vogue.

Have a stylish day.

Tim Walker: storyteller - the exhibition

If you like fashion and read fashion magazines (and considering you're reading my blog the chances are high), you've probably come across Tim Walker photography. It's likely you're a fan too. His work has graced countless pages of Vogue.
Now you're in for a treat, as Somerset House has dedicated an exhibition to him. I went to see it yesterday and it's rather good. Very insightful and inspiring, you can expect not only loads of photographs, but also oversized props and more. It's free of charge and if you get a chance I would definitely recommend you go and see it.
Photography is not allowed, but I sneakily managed to take few pics with my iPhone (hence the poor quality).
Have a stylish day.

More adventures plus LFW

During my adventures came the fashion month and even though I didn't do the whole London Fashion Week this season, I couldn't resist attending few events. Above is a dress I loved by Evmorfia.
LFW of course means full on make up. Here's few bits from my extensive collection.
Needles to say I've been wearing my Valentinos a lot. They seem to go so well with everything, including my Acne jeans.

When in Somerset House, I picked up a leaflet for the upcoming Valentino exhibition, which takes place there and starts in November. I can't wait to see it!
Also spending time in all these amazing hotels with numerous facilities I'd feel guilty not to take advantage. Hence I picked up a new sport. I have to admit I haven't been playing as much as I loved to, but I really enjoy tennis.
Have a stylish day.

It's an instagram life #12 - more of Mayfair

As mentioned yesterday, last Friday I went to see the amazing Hermes exhibition. It was so insightful and well curated, if you do get a chance go! It finishes this Sunday, so here's your plan for the weekend. I promise you'll love it, especially the room when you see people making Hermes handbag right in from of your eyes. You don't realise how much hard work goes into each one..
Yesterday I showed you pictures from Ralph Lauren shop windows and today I'm bringing you couple of Louis Vuitton. Horses in the windows carrying handbags? Why not. The whole of London is looking super festive for the upcoming Jubilee and Tiffany & Co looks very pretty (as always) under the bunting.
I bought new royal blue trousers that look good against all my gold. Outfit post soon..
Have a stylish day.

Window shopping on Bond Street

Last Friday in between meetings, I popped over to Burlington Gardens to see the Hermes leather forever exhibition (more about that later) and as Bond Street is just round the corner, of course I couldn't resist a quick visit. Mayfair is one of my favourite parts of London and Bond Street is a must visit regularly - I always love to have a look around and dream about million things I'd like to buy. The windows always look great and this time Ralph Lauren won me over with their beautiful displays. Unfortunately you can see a bit of a reflection of the opposite buildings, but I think you still get a pretty good idea about the shop windows. They take you to another dreamy world and there is definitely nothing wrong with that :) What do you think?
Have a stylish day.

Greek designers in London

Contemporary Greek designers like Mary Katrantzou, Marios Schwab and Sophia Kokosalaki have been growing in popularity not only in London, where they show their collections, but worldwide. It is therefore no surprise that there's an exhibition celebrating their work, alongside other more established Greek designers.    
As I mentioned on Monday, Marios Schwab's exhibition was one of my favourite at London Fashion Week and I am also a big fan of the other two, so I can't wait to visit this free exhibit later this week at the Hellenic Centre. I will try to tweet some pictures and also will write a report after for those who can't attend. Are you going?
Have a stylish day.

Christian Louboutin sketches

Beautiful sketches? Check. Shoes? Check. Red sole? Check! So you're planning to go to see THE Christian Louboutin exhibition (all the details here), you can't wait to buy the special edition shoes and now you can see sketches of the collection before it even comes out. Lovely people from Louboutin will be sharing them on facebook and here's a little preview. How amazing. I can't wait to see the rest. The 20th anniversary collection is coming out Feb 27th. The countdown is on!
Have a stylish day.

Stylish day out - top 3 exhibitions of 2012

This year is definitely THE year to live (or visit) London. I have loved it always, but 2012 is set to be the best year yet. There is so much going on, you're spoilt for choice how to spend your days off and I'm talking just about the exhibitions. The fashion industry, shopping, choice of restaurants... that would make a whole new article.

For now I've picked the top 3 exhibitions I think are a must-see. All fashion related. One better than the other. Bring it on.

(Christian Louboutin)

Believe it or not, the house of Christian Louboutin has celebrated 20 years of existence! To mark this anniversary, they recently released a book (coffee table must-have) and are doing lots of great promotions this year. There is an exhibition coming to Design museum and it is something (not only) every shoe lover will appreciate. You will be able to see the whole designing process of famous red soled beauties from drawing to finish and much more. See you there. 19/05 - 06/06

(image: courtesy of V&A museum)

V&A museum has been spoiling us recently. So many great exhibitions to visit. I am super exciting about two displays particularly, one of them being the Ballgowns: British Glamour since 1950. More than 60 designs will be on show, including pieces for social events such as private parties, royal balls, state occassions and many more.

You can expect work by Jonathan Saunders, Alexander McQueen, Jenny Packham, Giles Deacon and Erdem among others. Can May come any faster?

(Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's)

Last but definitely not least, is another exhibition at the V&A. They've only announced today, that this is happenning so I haven't got much information for you yet, but I will bring more as soon as I know. It will be called Hollywood costumes and will open this fall. It's an extensive collection of famous costumes of the big screen, including the famous dress of Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's, costumes of Jack Sparrow of the Pirates series and many more. Excited? I am!

Have a stylish day.

Vintage Sunday at National Portrait Gallery

Ok this post is a lot about last Friday's event so the title may seem confusing, but it was all about the 20s to 40s hence Vintage Sunday.
One of my favourite things to do in London (apart from shopping) is visiting the countless amount of galleries and museums the British capital has to offer. National Portrait Gallery is one of my favourite not only because of their permanent displays, they also often have really exciting exhibitions and events like Late Shift Extra on Fridays and Thursdays. Last Friday was an event called Glamour Factory in conjunction with their current exhibition Glamour of Gods. it's a display of mostly black and white photographs from golden era of Hollywood. Most of them defined careers both of the stars and the photographers. You can expects portraits of people like Rita Hayworth, Ginger and Fred (see sneaky pic below), James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and many more. Interesting part is where they show how they used to retouch photograps in those times. It's a great display and well worth seeing. Maybe a good way to spend Sunday? But hurry as the exhibition finishes on October 23.
Now back to the event. It was very popular indeed with more than 4000 people attending. The dress code was black and white (I've included picture of me and my friends in our monochrome outfits) and it was all about fun. There was a DJ to provide great music from that era and performances including 20s flapper dancers. Cult label Illamasqua did very glamorous make-overs, there were talks, walk of fame, where you could draw your hand and make your mark and much more. It wasn't the first Late Shift event I attended and I'm already looking forward to the next one.

Have a stylish day. 

McQueen exhibition in London

I am very excited about this! I count myself as one of the biggest Alexander McQueen fans. I so wanted to see his Savage Beauty exhibition at New York's Met museum I booked flights to NYC in no time. But due to unforeseen circumstance I couldn't make the trip, therefor missed the record-breaking exhibition. I was sad and to be honest couldn't understand why it didn't take place in London (Lee's home) in the first place. I wasn't the only one who thought McQueen should be honored here and was glad to find out there are people out there doing their best to bring this must see exhibition here.
One of them is Melanie Rickey the editor-at-large at Grazia Magazine. She started a petition on her blog, that was signed by more that 2000 people so far (me one of them), but that wasn't it. She did more and it's all looking positive.
Read all the details here, where you can also sign the petititon. The more signs the better!
So fingers crossed and hopefully we can all see this display of McQueen's magnificent work in London soon.
Have a stylish day.

Stylish day out

(image: courtesy of Gucci - from official Somerset House website)

I am very excited because as you may know I love a good exhibition. Going to galleries and museums is one of my favourite pass times. Tomorrow is the opening of a very appealing project: Masters of style: Celebrating the Stories behing Italian Fashion. I love Italy and its fashion and can't wait to check this out next week and of course tell you all about it. The exhibit is looking at defining moments from advertising campaigns of the biggest Italian fashion houses: Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, Gucci, Missoni and Prada will all showcase a personally hand-picked selection of images from their collections and archives, bringing to life iconic style moments and offering an insight into the passion and influences behind their work. Sounds interesting? Well what are you waiting for! The exhibit runs from tomorrow until 14 August at the wonderful Somerset House. I can't imagine a more stylish day out, especially if you go shopping afterwards :)

Have a stylish day.

The journey of a dress

I am a big fan of Diane von Furstenberg - what an inspiring woman. Believe it or not, she has been designing beautiful clothes for over 40 years. What better to look back over your succesful career than exhibition showing your work, collection of art and much more. Well if you're lucky enough and happen to be in Beijing, China or planning a trip there soon, make sure you check out this amazing display. It opened last week and is running through May 14th. The exhibit was previously shown in Moscow and Sao Paolo, but continues to evolve. You can expect her famous wrap dress from 1973, personal items from her archive and work comissioned by famous artists among other things. I'd love to visit but unfortunately are going to miss it. If you go and see it please let me know.
Have a stylish day.

Yohji Yamamoto at V&A

March 15th saw the opening of Yohji Yamamoto exhibition at V&A. I told you about this event before and I hope you will go if you have a chance. I went and I loved it. There has been a big demand for Japanese and Asian designers, with many of them taking over the world of fashion. Yohji is known for his use of unusual fabrics and playing with cut and shapes and his designs are incredible. There's quite a few on display, including menswear. You can also watch plenty of his catwalk shows on little screens provided and see his extraordinary look books. It's an exhibition not to be missed. And it doesn't end there! V&A are organizing lots of events, including a talk with Yohji Yamamoto himself and their popular fashion in motion (live catwalk show). For more info check out their website vam.ac.uk
Have a stylish day.

Nancy Van Ostren

This is the dress that made the biggest impression on me at London Fashion Week (off catwalks). LFW is not just about all the established designers parading their designs on the runway. There is so much more going on and it's all very exciting. The exhibitions at Somerset House is where new talent gets discovered. For me the best this year is Nancy Van Ostren. Her collection was very me so it's no wonder we got on really well. She said I looked out like jumped out of her AW 11 lookbook. Colourwise yes - it's mostly black, white and pink - my favorite colours. I loved her designs and am going to bring you more pictures soon (btw the colour of this photo doesn't seem very accurate). Hopefully I'll get an interview with her as well so be patient. It's worth the wait.
Have a stylish day.

Vintage Sunday - by Antonio

Yesterday I went to see amazing Fashion Illustration exhibition in the Design Museum and left mesmerized. For anyone interested in fashion or fashion illustration it's a must-see. It finishes next Sunday so if you get a chance go see it. It shows history of fashion illustration dating back to 1920s and how it changed and developed throughout the years to modern age. They have some great work of Rene Gruau about who's exhibition at Somerset House I told you before. Check it again here.
Of all the other artists, Antonio (Lopez) made the biggest impact on me and that's why I want to show you some of his work in today's Vintage Sunday. His style varies but all the pictures look very glamourous and I wouldn't mind to put a piece of his art in my walls. It's not surprising that his work appeared in magazines like Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Elle to name just a few. What do you think?
Have a stylish day.

Fashion exhibitions

This year is a fashion feast for fashion obsessed. There are some great exhibitions all over the world including the ones I told you about earlier this year in Amsterdam and New York, there is also a Contemporary Fashion exhibition and YSL exhibition in Paris and London just boasts with them. Next week will see the start of The Browns Exhibition celebrating Brown's 40 years in fashion, also from 28th May you can see fashion past and present at the newly renovated Modern Galleries of London in Museum of London and June 3rd is when Maison Martin Margiela 20 exhibiton starts at Somerset House. And let's not forget about The Grace Kelly exhibiton at V&A which is on now. All very interesting and inspiring I can't wait to check out as many as possible and report back to you.
Have a stylish day.

fashion at the MET

There is something I am very excited about and I want to share it with you. This July, I'm going to New York for the first time and I can't wait. Apart from sightseeing which I love!, I am obviously looking forward to all the shopping I'm planning and also soaking up some culture as well. I'm glad to have found out, that at the time of my stay, there are two major fashion exhibitions going on. For those who may attend, I'll give you all the details and for those who will miss it, don't worry, I'll bring you all the highlights.
To mark the new relationship between the Brooklyn Museum and the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art(MET), The Brooklyn Museum presents and exhibition of some of the most renowed objects from its costume collection. Two exhibitons will run at the same time:
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART:
American Woman: Fashioning and National beauty 2/5/10-15/8/10

BROOKLYN MUSEUM:
American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection 7/5/10-15/8/10

Both collections will look at the history of women's dressing and how it influenced the way american women dress today. So excited!
Have a stylish day.

a page in my diary

UK Jewellery Awards




Drapers Awards



Erdem - catwalks show




Today I wanna tell you more about what I do and have been doing for the past few months. Since I finished my course at London College of Fashion I have been gaining experience in tough fashion industry and loving every minute of it. I worked at a few events organized by RAH production company alongside stylists and learning the insider's tricks and trades. These include UK Jewellery Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Sparks Charity fashion show, Pet-a-porter at Harrods and Drapers Awards. Luckily these people have been spreading good word about ne to people in the industry and last week I have recieved a very exciting phone call. Next week I will be working for BBC, shooting make-over programm Snog, Marry or Avoid, working as a part of the styling team. I can't wait and will share more info about this later.
When I'm not working I love to read magazines about fashion and lifestyle to keep up with what's going on and also visit galleries, museums and all sort of exhibitions, which is all really inspiring. On friday I went to see a catwalk show at the V&A Museum by designer Erdem and I really enjoyed it. Usually I work backstage and don't get to see the actual show, so it was really nice. The clothes were just so beautiful. Dresses with lovely detailing and interesting prints were the key items and I could definitely see myself wearing quite a few of them.
Have a stylish day.