I know, I know… I’ve been criminal in terms of updating, but I do promise you more upcoming posts, such as my wonderful trip to Vienna a couple of weeks ago…

But right now, it’s another cold, crisp morning, and I’m alone in the house. Everyone else has either gone off home or elsewhere for the hols. Today’s my turn. I’ve got my trolley suitcase out, and I am packing for my annual Christmas trip down to Londres… Am looking forward to enjoying the holiday with Cougar as we do every year, one way or the other. But of course, part of the trip always involves the holy pilgrimage to the trinity of department stores for the Boxing Day sales, Harrods, Harvey Nicks and Selfridges… Am all warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.

However, in this economy, I have to be more prudent with my spending, and will be rather restrained about my purchases… I’ll either get a bag, a pair of shoes, a pair of gloves, a scarf or a coat… Oh, and I need to definitely load up on Wolford and Falke socks! I rummaged through my drawers and discovered that I do not own a single pair of socks appropriate for this sort of weather, and have been freezing my toes off in ankle socks and thin silk socks.

I’m also looking forward to spending Christmas Day this year with Lil’ J, who has graciously invited me to her home for the day. Not looking forward to the trek from my hotel to her townhouse on Christmas Day though… Seriously, the entire ferkakte city shuts down on this day… You would think there’s at least some semblance of normality.

Anyways, I would like to take this opportunity to wish one and all a Happy Christmas, and have a wonderful New Year!

xoxo,

gilded youth

I apologise for not having blogged in a little bit.  Real life has kinda taken over, and if you follow me on twitter (please do!!! – I have my latest tweets on the right —> ) then you’ll have an idea why.  Basically, although I’ve been open that I’m slightly envious of the fact that Mike likes someone other than me, and that other person seems to like him back (although there are marriages, children and mixed signals thrown into the mix), I’ve been handling it pretty well.  Yep, that’s right, you spotted the past tense.  Well, I’m handling it well again now.  But we had our Christmas meal on Friday night, and I might have got a little bit paranoid and possessive.  Allow me to elaborate.

Mike & me are HBICs on our course.  We do more or less everything together, we are friendly with everyone and everyone knows us as the smokers / naughty guys talking dirty at the back of the class / dedicated and working in the library on the sly / fun and easy to talk to / the ones who organise the social events on the course.  The third person in our equation is someone Mike noticed early on, but has only been included in our circle the last few weeks.  I knew that Mike was developing feelings before he admitted it to me, but it is still hard to accept.  I know he’s a straight married man, but what does a not-stunning 33-yo woman with 2 kids, an overly-possessive husband and an average wardrobe have on me?  Ok, she is a lovely lovely person, and admittedly has sparkling blue eyes and a shapely butt. But I’m 24, I apparently “look immaculate” (Julie), am “very pretty / beautiful” (Mike!!! and others), I can sing, dance, write and produce my own music, I smoke, play piano and guitar, I’m quite intelligent and “articulate” (Leanne) and “really good to talk to and understanding” (Penny, Emma, Mike).  What the fuck more can I do?  How many more hoops do I have to jump through?  I’m missing the point.  Sexuality is sexuality, although I firmly believe that although you can definitely be instantly attracted to physical traits, ultimately the body is the wrapping and the gift is the person inside (I mean that not in a sexual way, but in an emotional / spiritual / personal way).  Somewhere along the line, he’s my best friend but he doesn’t see all of who I am – otherwise if he has feelings for the woman, he certainly would have feelings for me as we share a good heart and a love of innuendo.  I’m going over old territory here, but although he’s my best friend at university and I utterly cherish that, sometimes it’s maddening that I can’t have more.

Anyway, I admit I’ve been a bit envious.  But I’ve also been more than there for him as much as I can, despite my own feelings for him (which he knows about).  The day of our Christmas meal, I was feeling extremely nervous and on edge, despite telling myself that they are adults, they can do whatever they like and it’s not my job nor my place to keep them apart.  I felt that I didn’t want Mike to be regretting anything the next day, that I might be a bad friend if I let him down by not keeping him rational, and that I would have my heart hurt in the process.  I played “Russian Roulette” multiple times, since that song, those lyrics and the whole Rated R album seem to be the story of my life right now, and nervously arrived at Mike’s house.  For a while I felt fine – we got to the restaurant, Mike said that after we went for late-night drinks and conversation the night before he was feeling more balanced about it all, I was confident and happy.  But then she eventually arrived, I felt the focus slipping away from me, I ended up having a lot to drink (note: 5 sambuca shots in one go is never a good idea), and then my hitherto good handle on the whole situation (which admittedly I had been managing pretty well, considering it’s a lot to bear) flew out the window.  I had to corral our whole group (who were splitting off in various directions, somewhat annoyingly – again I blame the alcohol!) into BSB on Corn Street, and then no matter how much I danced, smoke or drank, I couldn’t help but keep looking back at the two of them chatting in the corner.  In short, I was driving myself crazy, and Mike knew that I was really tense.  Apparently I said a couple of not-so-nice things about how little I trusted her (the drink talking, not that that’s an excuse), and I was dashing on and off the dancefloor and in and out of the club like a crazy person trying to keep my emotions and sanity in check, and then failing miserably.  I didn’t offend anyone, I didn’t do anything stupid or say anything revealing – I even managed to cover for the two of them when an observant Jenny remarked “how close they are… I wonder if they like each other?” (my reply – “Nah, we’re all just close friends” before linking my arm through Mike’s).  I am a good friend and my heart was and is in the right place.  But that night, my head was not.  More than my own envy or my own feelings, I wanted to be a good friend to Mike and stop him from doing anything he would regret in the long term.

At the end of the night me and Mike were walking back from dropping Jenny and her at the car park, and we had a little talk.  I was in a very bad mood, and it took me a while to work out why.  I called Mike to apologise for my mood, and he said it was ok, and I offered to explain what it was tomorrow.  First thing next morning, he texted me to ask how I was and why I had been feeling down.  I explained, he said I didn’t have anything to apologise for and not to worry or think so much. (For the record, “don’t think so much” is an astute but lousy piece of advice!!!)  I felt silly all weekend, but I thought that things were going to be ok and I was looking forward to seeing him on Monday.  Since I had his house key, I had arranged to give him that back.  Fast forward to Saturday night – Mike isn’t replying to my texts (this is unusual behaviour!), I was feeling fed up, caged at home, and decided to go out with Nick to a party and get drunk.  I had a fantastic time, and although I still had Mike at the back of my mind (or midway, maybe), it was whatever.  Life goes on.

Sunday I was in Starbucks working on my essay, when I get a call from Mike (after not replying to another text of mine telling him I had a crazy dream where we were both mercenaries undercover at an underground Nazi gathering led by Daniel Craig, except Mike was being hunted by the police for drug trafficking… yeah) to ask me if I was at home, and if I could give him his house key.  I had his key in my bag so I met him and his nephew Jack outside Harvey Nichols, handed it over (along with some tobacco, since I had run out of cigarettes on Friday night and smoked several of his rollies… it was also a little bit of an “apology offering”) and we had brief conversation.  Once again, everything seemed fine.  But then in the evening, we had texts which went unanswered, others which were answered and I just didn’t know where I stood.  Obviously I was overreacting, but nevertheless I couldn’t stop my own guilty feelings from colouring my judgement and thinking that I might have ruined our friendship.

Monday comes, I’m talking with Henna outside university when Mike rolls up.  He’s fine, but melancholy.  I apologised, we talked a lot about Friday, but things just weren’t the same.  He seemed glum, I was sad, and although we were talking and spending time together it just wasn’t the same. No innuendos, no physical contact, and at one point he thought I was in a piss with him (when I wasn’t!) and I explained what I was feeling and he said that “although I promised I’d never hit you, if you keep worrying then I will!”  Despite that, it was like our friendship was a shadow of its former self.  I texted him in the evening, but no reply once again.  I felt like I was being punished when I had apologised, been told there was nothing to apologise for and not to worry about it!  I felt like I really was a product of my mother’s emotional fuckery and my father’s control freakishness, and yet I couldn’t stop my brain from over-analysing every little thing (I apologise to Nick, Adam, Nana and everyone else I stressed out to over the past few days – y’all are so understanding and I really appreciate it.  Thankyou. ).  I felt so down, that after everything our close friendship had been somehow ruined, that despite my ability to be truly honest with Mike about my deepest darkest secrets and tell him things I can’t remember telling anyone, he couldn’t come correct to me and tell me what the matter was.

This morning I waited for him at our usual block, on edge and feeling sorta upset.  We met up and went to the library, he apologised for not replying to my text (I pretended it was nothing) and the black cloud persisted for a while.  But I soon realised that it wasn’t to do with me – in fact, I was the only person he could spend time with but still be honest about his moods.  I didn’t press him, but I realised that his home situation was really getting him down.  I offered him reassurance, friendship and a hug where appropriate, and tried to give him space.  As the day went on, we perked up (despite the fact we were writing an essay!) and I felt finally reassured that I still had his friendship, and that I can’t be responsible for him always being in a good mood, or for him being down.  His being sad makes me feel sad for him, but however much I might drink on a night out or however much guilt I feel, I can’t hold myself responsible for his moods, no matter how good friends we end up being.  I learned that I really do take things too personally, that I can’t turn my brain or heart off however much it might be convenient sometimes, and that I can be someone’s best friend but I can’t stop them from making a mistake – all I can do is be there for them, give them space to breathe and a shoulder to lean on when they need it.  This weekend was an emotional rollercoaster for me, but it wasn’t without its lessons and I try to take that away from it.  Drinking and love doesn’t mix, and you can only hide your heart under a façade for so long before it nevertheless starts to chip. Now I’m repairing myself and we’re all taking a deep breath and gradually going back to normal, and that’s a relief.  But I promise not to forget what I’ve learned this weekend, and I appreciate (once again) my friendships so much.

We were lucky enough to be invited to a fantastic supplier tasting event at Harvey Nichols Food Market in Bristol last Thursday during late night shopping. We were one of a group of unique suppliers that were invited to showcase our product,  through  a wonderful evening of tasting and discussing tea and tea chocolates.

Here I am at the ready to tell people about our most amazing jasmine tea, Green Jasmine, whilst they sipped on the refreshingly delicate tea. We had a fantastic response and people were blown away by our tea. It was great to see people’s eyes opened to just how good tea can be.

Part Two of my favourite snaps of the year, taken by various photographers, but mostly myself and TakeFlightClub’s Timmy Heartwell

AFTERNOONTEA.PARCGUELL.WORKIT

PINKPANTHER.SUPERMAN.

TIGERFORAHEAD.BUTTERFLY

]]> http://truestylista.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/you-decide-harvey-nics-ad-funny-or-tragic/ Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:13:51 +0000 truestylista http://truestylista.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/you-decide-harvey-nics-ad-funny-or-tragic/ http://gwebusinesswestchambers.wordpress.com/2009/12/10/womens-networking-with-gwe-business-west/ Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:47:20 +0000 gwebusinesswest http://gwebusinesswestchambers.wordpress.com/2009/12/10/womens-networking-with-gwe-business-west/

For 2010 we have a new programme ahead for women’s networking. Our first two events take place in January and March:-

Women’s Networking Evening with Harvey Nichols

Sue Stones, Harvey Nichols

Thursday 21st January 2010 at 6.00pm.

Join us for a women’s networking evening event at the brand new International Luxury lifestyle store, Harvey Nichols, in Bristol. Includes a 3-course meal with a glass of wine.

General manager Sue Stones who originally trained in fashion design will provide you with style tips for spring/summer 2010

Sue Stones is General Manager for Harvey Nichols Bristol and has worked with Harvey Nichols for 7 years, firstly in Edinburgh as Womenswear sales manager and then as Finance and Operations manager before moving to Bristol in July 2008 to run Harvey Nichols newest store.

Originally trained in fashion design, Sue worked with Jaeger in product development after leaving college before moving to Edinburgh and embarking on a retail career with Jenner’s, at the time the oldest independent department store in the world.

After progressing through their management trainee scheme she became a Buyer/Manager on women’s designer and contemporary fashion at Jenner’s, before leaving to join Harvey Nichols at the opening of their first Scottish store.

Venue:  27 Philadelphia Street, Quakers Friars, Cabot Circus, Bristol   BS1 3BZ

Prices to attend:   GWE Business West Chambers of Commerce Full Members: £25 (+ VAT)       
Subscribers / Non-Members: £30 (+ VAT)

Book Now

Women’s Networking Evening with Tina Coulsting Carter

Tina Coulsting Carter

Tuesday 16th March 2010 at 6.00pm.

Join us for women’s networking evening with guest speaker Tina Coulsting Carter, director at Mentor Consultancy and a renowned specialist in presentation and communication skills, as well as the author of get the Presentation X-Factor. The evening includes a two course meal and a glass of wine.

TINA COULSTING CARTER is a director at Mentor Consultancy and a renowned specialist in presentation and communication skills.

Formerly a university teacher she has developed an approach, which builds confidence and enables speedy development of transferable communication and influencing skills.

Applying her expertise to management development programmes, Tina has, since 1999, worked with many corporate and public sector clients on pitch presentations, conference rehearsals and personal development for leadership.

She is the author of Get the Presentation X-Factor.

Venue: Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Bristol, BS1 6TY

Prices to attend:    GWE Business West Chambers of Commerce Full Members: £14.50 (+ VAT)       Subscribers / Non-Members: £28 (+ VAT)

Book Now

De aproape o luna s-a deschis Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Bineinteles ca lucrul acesta mi-a starnit curiozitatea si m-am dus sa vad care-i treaba. Judith,racita varza, a decis sa ramana acasa, Sylvia avea planuri de vizita in familie, iar eu am zis…,, ma duc si neinsostita”. Sambata am plecat frumusel catre Hyde Park Corner, imbracata nu foarte wintery ci mai degraba summery, fara umbrela (proasta idee). Jeff avea planuri de poker night asa ca nu l-am intrerupt din activitati. Am pornit frumusel catre oraselul lui Santa, m-am imbarcat in trenul subteran si ghici ce?? cand sa ies de la metrou…. ce sa fie, ce sa fie??? Ploaie fff stresanta cu picuri mici si desi. Ei asta nu m-a dat inapoi. Am ajuns in orasel si am zis ca cel mai bine incep cu o ciocolata calda sa ma mai imbujorez. Zis si facut. Apoi mi-am dat seama ca toate standurile cu zorzoane si delicateste nu accepta carduri….Wrooonggg!! Am rasuflat usurata cand am vazut un semn mare pe care scria ,,cash point”. Am pornit spre locul acela. Zis si facut! Insa mare belea, mare! La coada, fix in spatele meu, o tanti durdulie si britanica si-a scapat portofelul da direct in ciocolata mea…. si hodoronc tronc, m-a facut numai ciocolata pe jacheta. Nu tu scuze, nu tu imi pare rau sau esti ok? ci direct ras prostesc si mai ca m-a si imbrancit. Ah si n-am uitat sa va spun l-a scapat si a doua oara sa fie treaba facuta bine! Idioti cat curpinde pe lumea asta. Una peste alta ajung in fata, la bancomatul portabil si ghici ce??? card neacceptat. Pai nu-ti vine sa te dai cu capul de pereti? Dar care pereti in parc?!?!? M-am enervat si am zis….winterfucking land is not for meeeee!!!! M-am decis sa pornesc in cautarea unui bancomat in apropiere. Merg eu asa agale prin ploaia deasa am zarit in deparatari super fancy managazinul Harvey Nichols. And guess what… de data asta am zis….,, Here I can spend my fucking money”. La naiba cu winterland-ul…m-am desfatat in HN. Zis si facut! Dupa ce am cheltuit niste bani, o suma frumusica pot sa zic, pe lenjerie de matase, ciocolata fina si cosmetice MAC am zis ca e mai bine sa plec pana nu imi inchid astia cardul ))))). Odata ajunsa acasa, mai plouata ca niciodata am constatat ca imi lipsteste cardul. Sa vezi nervi pe mine atunci!!!!Am zis ca mai bine imi iau un film bun si ma relaxez.

A doua zi parca toata revolutia asta de intamplari neplacute s-a preschimbat in Zana cea Buna. Soarele zambea la fereastra. Jeff si cu mine am decis sa mergem impreuna de aceasta data sa vedem Winter Wonderland. Am sunat la HN sa rezolv problema cu cardul. Am avut noroc, cardul meu nu era pe sina de metrou asa cum credeam initial, ci in magazinul Harvey Nichols, unde uituca de mine il lasase. Dupa ce mi-am recuperat cardul (chiar am incredere in oamenii locului..legea chiar functioneaza in tara asta) am pornit cu baby al meu catre winterland. De data asta ploaia, mai subtire ca niciodata, ne-a imbiat la drum. Umbrela din dotare ne-a salvat dupa amiaza. Odata ajunsi acolo parca era altceva. Nu tu femeie impiedicata care nu spune pardon, nu tu probleme cu cardul, cash aveam de data asta. Totul la fix. Dupa 2 vinuri fierte si carnati nemtesti, ne-am dat in Roata Excelentei (jur ca asa se numeste…astia se tot cred regi si excelente pe aici) si am vazut Londra noaptea de sus. Bestial. Cateva poze de asera la mine pe Facebook.

Nota di Pao: Trovo ironico il fatto che in Italia la TNT abbia aderito* al Progetto10×10 di Quattroruote con il quale ci si impegna a ridurre del 10% le emissioni di CO2 dei veicoli e poi in Inghilterra sia inserita nella lista dei più cattivi in assoluto.

* Vedi > http://www.quattroruote.it/eco10×10/azienda_tnt.cfm

°°°

Rimandati a settembre, o forse addirittura bocciati. Questa dovrebbe essere la sorte scolastica di molte aziende inglesi, che dimostrano un atteggiamento ancora troppo poco collaborativo nelle proprie politiche ecologiche.

Secondo una ricerca britannica (promossa da Marketing magazine e Brand Republic, con la collaborazione di ENDS Carbon e l’Università di Edimburgo) dal titolo Brand Emissions che ha coinvolto 600 marchi, molti hanno ancora politiche ambientali lacunose e non pubblicano nemmeno i dati riguardanti le emissioni di gas serra. Ma non c’è limite al peggio e c’è chi addirittura, in tempi di allarme climatico, è riuscito ad aumentare le proprie emissioni di CO2.

Gli insufficienti, a vari livelli, sono circa i due terzi dei marchi più noti che sono molto lontani dall’obiettivo governativo del 2020 di ridurre le emissioni del 20 per cento rispetto al 1990.

Tra i più attenti all’ambiente troviamo Tesco, T-Mobile, Dell, BMW, Eurotunnel, Accenture, Standard Chartered, Ericsson, KPMG, AMD, mentre tra coloro che dimenticano di pubblicare le informazioni ci sono Google, McKinsey e Amazon.

Per ben 320 delle aziende osservate, tra cui Porsche, Harvey Nichols e McDonald’s, non è stato registrato alcun proposito di ridurre le proprie emissioni inquinanti. Inoltre 122 brand, tra cui Barclays, Sky e eBay, sono riusciti addirittura ad aumentare i propri gas serra nel corso del 2008.

Infine ci sono i più cattivi in assoluto, tra cui Acer, Juniper Networks, Billabong International, Finnair, Premier Inn, Costa, Gossard, Aegon, Unisys, TNT, ovvero quelli che sono riusciti nel duplice obiettivo di innalzare le emissioni di anidride carbonica e di non avere alcun proposito di cambiare.

Fonte: www.corriere.it

The self-proclaimed ‘diva’ had the ultimate shopping spree at Harvey Nichols in LDN this past weekend. She spent $20,000 British POUNDS  on some Missoni, Philip Lim, Rodarte, Christopher Kane, Moschino and more stuff that will kill me inside if I go on to list. Twenty thousand pounds is almost $33,000 USD!

I can’t help but feel really depressed and incredibly jealous. What are your thoughts? Is that just way too extreme or should the diva be able to spend her money however she wants?

'Shimmer' - Harvey Nichols Christmas window displays 2009

When I knew that one of my assignments was to write a feature on an aspect of Edinburgh for Voyager magazine, I knew that I wanted to do the Harvey Nichols window displays. I think they are incredible.

Feature- Harvey Nichols Display Windows

There are a number of famous shop window displays throughout the world, Harvey Nichols being one of them and as you walk by Edinburgh’s Harvey Nichols window front, it is likely that you will find yourself stopping and staring in amazement as each window contains its owns piece of art.

Normally each Harvey Nichols store in Britain has different window displays but this Christmas “they have decided to have all the winter displays the same throughout the company,” says Annette Lamb, head of press and marketing for Harvey Nichols, “each window display is installed for ten weeks. After ten weeks they are passed on to another store because they are such big installations”.

The ideas for the designs all start at the collection and looks designers are going for and the time of year. The head of visual display of the company, Janet Wardley goes to the fashion shows and that is where the looks are decided.

The sculptures in the windows look so beautifully crafted it may be assumed that they are designed and created by an artist but in fact this is not the case. Visual display managers go to London where each person has their input of ideas. A whole year worth of displays are designed there. The displays are really expensive to produce so as a way of keeping costs down they are made in house.

The scheme previous to the current Christmas theme was titled ‘Urban Jungle’. Spring/Summer fashions were greatly influenced by the jungle theme and so each window of Harvey Nichols contained a life size animal including a plastic covered elephant, a giraffe covered in broken glass and a cardboard rhino. The fashions of Spring/Summer 2009 were incorporated into the display with the use of mannequins dressed in clothes from that season’s collection interacting with the animals.

Harvey Nichols Christmas window displays 2009

This Christmas, a magical theme runs through Edinburgh’s Harvey Nichols shop front. Plastic figures of woman are positioned in elegant ways in four of the windows. The first takes the form of the body of a butterfly. The tastefully multi-coloured and jewelled, glittering wings remain closed as the black figure stands proud with its arms stretched above and behind its head. The figure is also covered in jewels that have been strategically placed alongside swirling metal, lining the body.

The third window contains the second elegant figure, arguably the most glamorous of the four. The upper half of the pearl coloured body appears from the centre of an impressive chandelier. It is draped in plastic beads to give the effect of crystals and from the candle sticks of the chandelier golden beads hang. On the floor of the display, it looks like crystals and glass have fallen and shattered on the floor. Several bottles of wine are featured, including one in the figures hand, representing the party aspect of Christmas.

The fourth and sixth windows also contain elegant figures. One is a metallic magenta colour stood in a graceful position. It is positioned within a wire, hollow sphere mounted in Christmas bobbles around the mid section of the body, highlighting the seasonal influence. The other is a light bronze colour, coated with jewels and stars. The figure is sat in a golden crest moon, with the backdrop of an ocean blue, starry night sky.

 “They are absolutely beautiful, aren’t they?” said one passer-by. This shows the impact the displays have on people.

Harvey Nichols Christmas window displays 2009

The other two window displays contain mannequins. In the second window three female mannequins stand with attitude. The clothes they are wearing highlight the influence on designers this season. The shoulders of the clothing are well defined and draw attention to the 1980’s influence and the Victorian impression of the outfits gives the idea of well cut and minimalist clothing that some designers are going for this season. The fifth window carries a darker theme. Some designers have been influenced by the gothic image so three mannequins dressed in tailored black outfits are stood in front of a backdrop made from a large metal cobweb. It provides a contrast to the other five windows because it is much more dark and mysterious rather than elegant and magical. The six windows are linked however, through the use of words written in gold on the glass of the windows in the same swirling font. “Flutter”, “Shimmer”, “Dazzle”, “Glisten” and “Twinkle” all carry the magical feel through the windows.

Even though there is still a month and a half until Christmas, quite soon Harvey Nichols buyer will be buying for the next spring/summer window displays as everything is bought six months in advance. Producing such impressive window displays takes a lot of hard work, time and money but is worth it for the few minutes of enjoyment they give people as they pass by.

 Side Bar

Harvey Nichols is not the only shop with impressive window displays. London has Oxford Street’s Selfridges and New York has its famous Fifth Avenue, holding displays from shops like Macys, Saks, Tiffany and Bergdorf Goodman. The displays are particularly spectacular during the Christmas period and are a huge tourist attraction in New York.

Bergdorf Goodman window displays are similar to Harvey Nichols. They are stylised and sophisticated. Mannequins are used to interact with the displays as a way of debuting fashions of the season. The designers of the windows treat it like they are designing for the set of a Broadway production; the ideas and designs are so extravagant.

Selfridges window displays are know worldwide and are highly photographed. On numerous occasions they have proven to be controversial. In October 2008 they had to close their window displays for a month as five of their main displays contained panels made from asbestos. Fibres released by asbestos can cause incurable, terminal cancer.

 Some of London’s most innovative displays are found in Selfridges shop windows, particularly at Christmas. On one occasion one million pounds worth of diamonds were put on show.

To get the information I needed on the displays I went into the Edinburgh Harvey Nichols store and asked a member of staff who the best person was to speak to about them. They got someone to go and ask the manager and I was told that I needed to phone the head of press and marketing, Annette Lamb. I thought that would be simple enough because I was told that her phone number would be on the internet. This wasn’t the case as I could not find it, so I had to phone the store and they put me through to her.

She was really nice and answered all my questions as best she could. In fact she gave me such detailed answers it was difficult to write all the information down, but I think I managed to get all the key points. As soon as I finished the phone call, I wrote the body of my feature so I got all the information I didn’t get written down, into the article, while I remembered.

I think a way I could improve my feature would be to put more of other people’s opinions about the displays into the article. I think this would help as people reading the article are not just relying on my opinion. However, I am pleased that I managed to write my feature on something different. When you think of Edinburgh, you don’t straightaway think about Harvey Nichols window displays, you think of somewhere like the castle or Princes Street. The displays are something that really impress people though, but not many would know the thought and process behind them. Thats why I wanted to do a feature on them.

Seguinte, eu tenho cada dia, principalmente de tarde que o tédio toma conta de mim, e eu fico vendo as melhores inutilidades pela Internet. Há alguns dias atrás me deparei com essa reportagem ” As Coisas Mais Caras do Mundo” favoritei ela, mas acabei esqueçendo de falar sobre ela, agora achei no meio dos Favoritos e resolvi compartilhar.
Tinha milhares de coisas, algumas muito engraçadas, mas algumas super toscas, então separei as melhores pra vocês verem.

- O coquetel mais caro do mundo: US$ 55.000 a taça

Por quê o absurdo do preço? Por conta de diamantes, claro. O coquetel mais caro do mundo traz, no lugar da popular azeitona, um anel de diamantes. Quem quiser presentear, vai até o bar da Harvey Nichols, em Manchester, na Inglaterra, e solicita ao barman Jay Malik um deles. Um cofre especial atrás do bar tem várias opções de anéis de ouro branco e diamantes, indo de “meros” US$ 27.000,00 até os US$ 55.000,00. O coquetel é acompanhado até a mesa por guardas de segurança…

- Os sapatos mais caros do mundo: US$ 2 milhões

Pisar em dinheiro é fácil. Mas, pisar em US$ 2 milhões é para poucos, que arcariam pagar este valor por um pisante. O designer Stuart Weitzman inspirou-se nas pantufas de rubi do Mágico de Oz para criá-los usando fios de platina e 642 rubis. E eu nem achei eles tão bonitos assim.

- O saco de chá mais caro do mundo: US$ 15.200

Para celebrar o aniversário da PG Tips, uma popular marca inglesa de chás, a joalheria Boodles criou este pequeno saco de chá. Foram necessários três meses para fazer a mão a pequena jóia com 280 diamantes. Segundo o porta-voz da PG Tips: “Como é o nosso 75º aniversário, quisemos fazer algo especial para lembrar às pessoas o quanto elas amam uma xícara de chá inglês.”

- O telefone mais caro do mundo: US$ 1,3 milhões

Segundo o Livro Guinness de Recordes, o GoldVish LeMillion é o telefone mais caro do mundo. Ele é feito com outro de 18 quilates, e tem 120 quilates de diamante incrustados. Ele foi apresentado durante a Feira dos Milionários, ano passado, em Moscou. E é feio.

Exagero, futilidade ou luxo?

Image Credit

The term ‘pop-up shop’ seems to have been thrown around quite a lot recently; with fashion designers, artists and well-known brands opening temporary shops across the country. The trend for these fashionable units is a result of both the recession and throw-away fashion; what better way to stay on top of the style game than to close shops after just six months and move on to ‘the next big thing’?!

Last year London became thoroughly ‘pop-tastic’, with shops, restaurants and art galleries taking over the city’s coolest areas. There was a massive rise in portable restaurants, like the Reindeer Restaurant and Flash, and also art galleries like the Proud Gallery, which started merely as a marquee over a car park. Even retail expert Mary Portas opened a hyper pop-up, open for just one hour and selling vintage clothes, and again this year she teamed up with Grazia to open a charity shop in Westfield.

The trend has continued to grow with On|Off, Doc Martens, and heritage brand Baracuta joining the list of pop-ups. Even London Fashion Week fuelled a host of pop-ups across the Capital.

But it’s not just London benefitting from these shops, this year the trend has come to Birmingham.

Back in September, Councillor Martin Mullaney headed up the Style in the City fringe, Pop Up in the City. Using an empty unit on Corporation Street, he worked with a 14 local designers to open a market-place for shoppers during the three-day fashion and beauty festival.

Now that Christmas is here, Harvey Nichols has re-opened their Christmas pop-up gift shop on Level 3 of The Mailbox, selling the best Christmas gifts and to-die-for hampers. They are also holding a Festive Fete for shoppers on 30 November.

Jewellery festival Brilliantly Birmingham has also jumped on board the pop-up train. Teaming up with Pavilions, the temporary boutique will be open from 5-24 December and will showcase a number of designers, giving shoppers the opportunity to buy original hand-crafted jewellery and commission bespoke pieces.

But the latest and one of the most exciting of the pop-ups to arrive in the city comes courtesy of Punch Records and the Sauce Gallery. Pioneering typographer, sleeve designer and artist Swifty will be setting up shop at the Sauce Gallery in Custard Factory from Saturday 12 December 2009-10 January 2010. From originals and one-off prints, to T-shirts, skateboards and stickers, Swifty fans will have plenty to choose from. Partly inspired by Peter Blake’s ‘Toy Shop’, it will also feature Swifty’s Newsagents installation and be home to the A-Z of Swifty Show. For more info, go to www.punch-records.co.uk.

So, it looks like the pop-up trend is going strong, and I have to say that I’ll champion it all the way. An article by The Times summed pop-ups up perfectly, calling them “The epitome of our high-speed, short-attention-span culture.”

Not only do pop-ups keep the cool crowd entertained but they also gives artists and young designers a platform to showcase their work. They also makes the most of empty and under-used units. A win-win all round, I’d say!

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Before you all start, yes I know I have just got back from New York but I’m not talking those holidays; I’m talking about Christmas.

This week, I have been feeling particularly festive having just got back from The Big Apple, where the ice rinks and Christmas trees are set and ready for the festive season and Macy’s infamous windows are lining 34th Street. Even better, when I arrived home from the airport, I turned on the TV and saw the Coca Cola advert, which to me always means the official start to Christmas.

Further fuelling my Christmas Spirit, the German Market is back in Birmingham and bigger than ever. Tonight I had my first trip to said market, and one of my lovely Twitter friends (@danofftheradio) told me about the Hot Chocolate with Jagermeister. Now, two of my favourite things in the world are chocolate and Jager so to put them together was always going to be a winner with me, but it really was a taste sensation!  Luckily, the German Market always encourages Birmingham’s social crowd to meet, at every available opportunity, for some Bratwurst and Gluhwein so I’ll be partaking in plenty of alcoholic chocolate!

Apart from the amazing market, one of the other brilliant things about Christmas is of course, shopping. Not that I need much encouraging – I like to use working on Style Birmingham as an excuse to shop as much as possible (research!) – but nothing beats shopping for presents! We are all too aware that this will be a difficult year with the dreaded recession, but I think that retailers are really pulling out the stops to make sure we all keep spending; after all, that’s the only way to keep the economy going.

Birmingham’s retailers are no exception and have some exciting things happening over the festive season… make sure you check them out!

Shopping Events

Debenhams is offering 25% off across all departments in their Christmas Spectacular Sale! From Wednesday 18th November – Saturday 21st November, you can stock up on presents and bag yourself some goodies too. There is also 10% off beauty and cosmetics.

On Thursday 19th November, House of Fraser is holding a ‘Prepare to Party Fragrance event’ on the ground floor. Join them in-store for top tips on looking great this Christmas; during the day Mugler will be holding fragrance workshops and from 5pm, DIOR’s visiting make-up artist will be showing everyone the hottest party looks. To RSVP, email Birmingham@hof.co.uk.

I’ve also heard on the grapevine, there’s a special two-day discount event the following Thursday and Friday.

Brilliantly Birmingham Pop-Up Shop

Opening on 5 December until Christmas Eve, Pavilions will host a special jewellery pop-up shop. The temporary boutique will give you the chance to buy original hand-crafted jewellery, meet local designers and commission bespoke pieces. There will be pieces for men and women, and for all budgets.

Festive Families

Christmas is all about the family and Pallasades is certainly spreading the Christmas Spirit. As well as hosting Birmingham’s biggest grotto, the shopping centre has also teamed up with a number of top local attractions including Sea Life Centre, Cadbury World, Thinktank, Black Country Museum and Dudley Zoo. By spending just £10 at any or a combination of stores at the centre and showing the receipt/s, shoppers can get a special discount book.

Taste Sensations

As well as the aforementioned German treats, retailers are also looking to tantalise your tastebuds. Bullring have a Ferrero Rocher Christmas Tree (yes, heaven) and Harvey Nichols has opened their pop-up gift shop in The Mailbox, which includes a range of seasonal treats. Harvey Nics will be holding a Festive Fete on 30 November in the store, where you can enjoy the finest food and wine, create bespoke hampers and get your gift-buying sorted. Tickets are complimentary and limited spaces for the Fancy Nancy session will be offered on a first come first served basis. For more information and to book your tickets contact the Harvey Nichols Foodmarket on 0121 616 6000.

He’s Behind You…

And don’t forget about Selfridges, who will be bringing Panto to the high street. During December there will be some very special panto-related treats, so make sure you’re around to enjoy them.

I have plenty more to tell you about Style Birmingham’s plans for Christmas, but I’ll leave them for another time. For now, go and enjoy some Bratwurst and get shopping!

Wednesday was another day full of magical moments!

First, we headed up to Notting Hill to explore the Portobello Road market.  En route, we stopped so Madre could have a quick look at a comic book store…and were stopped by a TV crew from Harry Hill’s TV Burp on ITV–it’s basically the British version of The Soup, one of our favorite shows back home!  As part of a montage making fun of an incident on last week’s The X Factor (Simon Cowell’s UK American Idol), we were prompted with the question “What is your favorite movie?” to which were to reply in a completely genuine, obvious manner “GUMMO!”  We obeyed…and made it into the montage that played at the beginning of the new 14-Nov 7:30pm episode!!!!!  Surreal…

Anyway, we then made it to Portobello Road and browsed all of the cute shoppes and stalls, pausing briefly for breakfast at Kitchen and Pantry.  After satisfying our Notting Hill itch, we headed northwest via bus to Abbey Road and were “those people” taking pictures in the zebra crossing.  I had been waiting this entire semester to have someone to go with me to the famous spot of my favorite band and was so happy that I got to do it with Madre.  It was totally worth the wait!

We headed south for an afternoon of Christmas retail magic at Harrods.  After productively spending money on Christmas gifts for many of my readers (;)) we indulged in Afternoon Tea at The Georgian Restaurant.  I cannot stress how content I was having my favorite meal in a gorgeous restaurant festively decorated for Christmas in pink!  (I KNOW! Believe me, I was freaking out.)

We continued the department store up Brompton Road to Harvey Nichols, Harrods’ edgier but equally expensive counterpart frequently referenced in the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous.  We headed back to the LVH for an early night on the eve of our most epic, magical adventure yet…

Aspen bags

Do you need a new bag? Like, a really good, really cute one? Take half a second and forget what you know about gorgeous name-brand bags or name-brand prices and start over, tabula rasa.

Now make room in your mind for The Jack Rabbit Collection, an LA-based (as in, everything is handmade in the heart of LA by families of artisans picked by the designer) that uses heart-stoppingly soft leather to make belts and handbags for people like Agyness, Kate Moss, and you. It’s sold at Harvey Nichols, Neiman Marcus, Shopbop and a few other places, but you should shop directly from their site, because everything is heavily discounted. As in, the Aspen bag (top) retails for $575, but you can get it for $371. There’s free shipping, but the trade off is no refunds.

I’m also a huge fan of the ladylike Concord bags (below, left), which are just slouchy enough for downtown looks, too. And Kate Moss carries around the Easy Rider (below, right), whch is discounted to $520.

Concord bags

Easy Rider bag

I think I must have spent an embarrassingly large proportion of  my time before the arrival of Jack in Harvey Nichols - much of it in the company of my lovely friend Eileen, chatting, browsing and cooing over beautiful things.  So, naturally, as I started to feel more like the pre-pregnancy me, I persuaded my husband to venture into Knightsbridge on a Sunday.   Well, someone needed to look after Jack while I was trying on shoes…

My husband has a particular fondness for nice restaurants.  It’s not the food, but the experience for him.  Whilst I, reluctant to impinge on my precious shopping time, tentatively suggested we grab a sandwich and a coffee, he insisted we eat properly in the Fifth Floor Restaurant.  We pitched up with a baby and no booking.

They couldn’t have been more accomodating.  Jack wasn’t really big enough for a high chair so we kept him in the buggy and parked it at the table, which the staff worked round with aplomb.  They willingly warmed up his bottle of milk – though it came back pretty hot and we had to let it cool down.  There is a pretty good, though snug, baby changing cubical in the Ladies loo next to the restaurant.  It might have been tricky for Dan if he’d been on his own though, as there don’t appear to be any baby changing facilities in the Men’s loo…

The food was lovely, the staff made a fuss of Jack and, though it doesn’t happen often, I did have to concede that my husband was right.

Rating:

Stylishness: 4/5

Friendliness: 5/5

Feeding Facilities: 3/5

Changing Facilities: 4/5

Food: 4/5

Overall rating: 20/25  ££

1. The relative of Indian Billionaire, Megha Mittal bought Escada, the German brand that filed for insolvency earlier this summer.

2. Harvey Nichols chief executive Joseph Wan has warned the luxury market will not recover from the global banking collapse for at least five year.  There has been a change of the total land scape in luxury retailing. It will open a floor in Feb devoted to a more accessible fashion offer to counter shifting shopping habits. The business has no changes to its wealthy shopper’s spending habits. At the moment, we are continuing to see significant growth. The growth is occurring on brands on a higher level such as LV, Chanel and Christian Dior.

3. PPR, the owner of Gucci group reported the sales in the third quarter dropped 8%, the decline was blamed on weak wholesale sales, tough exchange and  a drop in tourism.

4. Generation X marks the spot for retailers. Women born in the 1960s and 1970s have cash in their purses and an appetite for trend-driven fashion, marking them a tempting proposition for womenswear retailers. Those aged between 30 to 45 are the age group where spending has grown most in the last year. Ease of shopping is one thing important to them. Quality and design details are very important to them. Mint Velvet targets for 30-plus women.

5. Louis Vuitton reported a double-digital rise in sales over the nine months to Sep 30. The luxury brand’s success boosted the performance of LVMH.

6.  China data shows economic rebound,especially in factory outputs and retails.

Flo and I have just returned from ‘up country’ after our annual shopping trip to Bristol. Each year we make a point of visiting the former slave trade capital of Britain to do our Christmas shopping. It’s become something of a tradition; we made our first pilgrimage there way back in 1978 making this our twenty first year. I shudder to think how much money we’ve put into the Bristol economy over that time.

The city centre has changed beyond recognition and mostly for the better. This time Flo and I investigated the new Cabot Circus, Broadmead shopping centre. If you haven’t seen Broadmead, it’s quite beautiful with lovely shops and restaurants arranged, under cover of glass, on several levels linked by escalators. We never need encouragement to shop until we drop although these days we do drop rather easily. So we were very grateful for the selection of eating places that Broadmead had to offer. Flo wanted to try Yo Sushi, the sushi bar but the idea of eating anything uncooked was too much for me; I suggested going Italian to Bella Italia but Flo isn’t keen on pasta – it’s the texture she doesn’t like. We flirted with La Tasca, a Spanish tapas bar, but uncertain what tapas are exactly (Flo speculated it was peasant food), we decided against it. After also ruling out French (Flo doesn’t like garlic or, so I found out, French farmers) and Mexican (more peasant food) we decided upon Frankie and Benny’s – an American diner where we took advantage of their lunchtime menu ‘special’ with free top-up on all soft drinks. Flo had several large glasses of Coca-Cola which was an error of judgement; pumped up with sugar and caffeine she was impossible for the rest of the day.

Leaving the shopping centre we stumbled upon a darling little piazza called Quakers Friars. The most exquisite shops were nestled around a stone flagged square with its sculptures and water features. Flo, by now like a startled rabbit caught in headlights, almost manhandled me into Harvey Nichols and, although it didn’t look like my sort of thing, I have to admit, once inside, it was so unquestionably stylish that it made me think, for the first time, that Doris Brazil Ladies’ Wear might be looking a little jaded. I resolved to remove the yellow cellophane from my windows, for the winter at least, when the sun in low, and to consider moving more stock from behind the counter into the shop where customers can see it.

When we eventually climbed onto the 7.28 train out of Bristol Parkway, laden like old pack horses, we concurred it had been another successful trip and, God willing that we were still alive, we would return next year. I am happy because this year, as well as my Christmas shopping, I have returned with something else; inspiration. Now I am wondering, what happens when you cross Harvey Nichols with Doris Brazil Ladies’ Wear? The answer is certain to be something quite marvelous.

I popped to Harvey Nichols ss10 press day yesterday (which i’ll be updating about tomorrow) and found a fantastic, new foundation. It’s called Per-fekt and you can buy it online at www.shop.harveynichols.com. . I had a trial of the product (see the after shot above) and it looks/feels amazing on the skin. The brand comes from Hollywood and is a favourite amongst the A-listers, visit its US website www.perfektbeauty.com for more info on the company- but it’s not ridiculously expensive, the foundation is about £40 and looks like it would last! The products are multi-functional and claim to be about 4 things in one- a foundation, primer, colour corrector and powder. Fantastic if you haven’t got room in your bag for all 4!

I tried the skin perfection gel, it glides on and creates a matte, airbrushed finish which looks incredible. It also blends easily and is not diluted with water, so will last the whole day..no matter how many hot tube rides you get on! It not only looks good, but feels great on the skin as well, containing ingredients which help hydrate the skin and reduce the appearance of redness and fine lines…not bad for one foundation!

fashionbie xx

London, UK – Lana J. Marks, world-renowned American handbag and accessory designer to A-List Hollywood, society, and royalty, continued the international expansion of the LANA MARKS Brand with the opening of LANA MARKS at Harvey Nichols – Knightsbridge, the London flagship of the luxury department store chain. This is the first LANA MARKS presence in the British Market, and is part of a global rollout that includes the Middle East, Russia, Europe and Asia.

“Harvey Nichols are delighted to be launching Lana Marks Handbags exclusively in the UK,” said Harvey Nichols CEO Joseph Wan. “Her bags epitomise the ultimate in luxury and will appeal to our fashionable customers’ desire for something new, with a sense of timeless elegance and truly expert craftsmanship.”

Setting a new standard for luxury accessories, Marks has distinguished herself as one of the most talented accessories designers to both Hollywood and Royalty. Angelina Jolie, Julie Christie, Helen Mirren, Drew Barrymore, Chloe Sevigny, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Winslet, Charlize Theron, Lucy Liu, Oprah Winfrey, Julianne Moore, Reese Witherspoon, and Diana, Princess of Wales, have been just a few of her well-known customers.

Lana J. Marks is the CEO and sole designer of the LANA MARKS Brand. The LANA MARKS Collections now consist of over 150 designs available in 100 colours of alligator, ostrich, and lizard and customized leathers and satins. LANA MARKS designs are available at her stores in New York, Palm Beach, Beverly Hills, and at LANA MARKS boutiques at The Bellagio – Las Vegas; Harvey Nichols – Dubai, UAE; and Harvey Nichols – Hong Kong.

For more information on LANA MARKS, please visit the LANA MARKS Website, LANA MARKS CFDA Profile, LANA MARKS on Wikipedia, follow LANA MARKS on WordPress, follow Lana Marks on Twitter, or join the LANA MARKS Fan Page on Facebook.

PRNewsWire: LANA MARKS Opens at Harvey Nichols – London

Reuters: LANA MARKS Opens at Harvey Nichols – London

EarthTimes: LANA MARKS Opens at Harvey Nichols – London

We’ve been in our new neighborhood north of the Thames for almost two months now, and both of us have really enjoyed getting to know a new part of the city. The make-up of our new neighborhood is a bit different. There are a lot more children here, both at church and near home. As we transit between home and work, we frequently travel Edgware Road, which has a distinctive Middle Eastern feel to it. The shop names are written in Arabic, you see many women in full burkhas and loads of people sitting at the restaurants puffing away on the hookahs.

At church, we bump shoulders with a lot more Americans than we did before our move; also a good number of Asians. The congregation is much larger, and there are many experienced members and things feel very organized. I had to laugh a little today when someone gave me a fancy, colorful and detailed flyer for an upcoming activity. Haven’t seen anything like that since we left the States.  It takes us a little bit longer to get to church now (about 45 minutes) but it’s only one bus ride, and not bad. The ride is my one chance during the week to sneak a peak at the window displays at Harvey Nichols. I used to pass Harvey Nichols daily on my commute to/from work. I love their creative and somewhat bizarre displays.

Dubbed as the ultimate beauty night, luxury department store Harvey Nichols has teamed up with Grazia magazine to host an exclusive event dedicated to all things beauty.

Top make-up artists and beauty experts will be at hand this week to guide you through this seasons beauty trends and must-have products. They’ll also be sharing their backstage beauty tips and tricks.

Still not satisfied? Guests can enjoy complimentary champagne, experience mini-facials and massages and take away a goody bag at the end of the night. Sold!

The event takes place this week (at the following Harvey Nics stores listed below) and tickets for the event cost £10.00 but can be redeemable against purchases made on the night.

London : Tuesday 20 October, 8:00pm – 10:00pm.
To book, call 020 7201 8552. Tickets cost £10.

Leeds : Tuesday 20 October, 6.30pm – 9.30pm.
To book, call 0113 204 8888. Tickets cost £10.

Edinburgh: Tuesday 20 October, 6.30pm – 9.30pm.
To book, call 0131 524 8388. Tickets cost £10.

Birmingham: Tuesday 20 October, 7:00pm – 10:00pm.
To book, call 0121 616 6019. Tickets cost £10.

Bristol : Wednesday 21 October, 6.30pm – 9.30pm.
To book, call 0117 916 8862. Tickets cost £10.

Manchester : Wednesday 21 October, 6:00pm – 10:00pm.
To book, call 0161 828 8559. Tickets cost £10.

Dublin : Thursday 29 October, 6.30pm – 9.30pm.
To book, call 01 291 0423. Tickets cost €15.

To book your tickets simply contact the store of your choice (we’ll be at the Birmingham event!) or click here.

Sunny